Substitute Soul: Deliverance
by Lynnxrider
Summary: In the greatest tragedy Edward would ever face he creates something he did not intend, his actions having farther reaching consequences than he could have ever imagined. Or, the story of how the Elric Brothers Two became the Elric Brothers Three.
1. Chapter 1

**This story will be based on both the FMA and FMAB series. Enjoy.**

 **Book One: Deliverance**

 _Edward Elric was guilty of many things. He tried to resurrect his mother, lost his brother's body and trapped the boy's soul in a suit of armor, and created and inhuman monster that he abandoned to death. In his arrogance, Edward made another horrific mistake. I hate him for it. But I will help him and his brother regain their bodies, because in doing so, I may finally return home._

The last thing I remember of my world is lying down next to the love of my life, the man I would marry, and falling asleep…

So, why exactly was my face being pelted by water? My senses came back to me slowly, as if I was waking from a long slumber. I turned my face to the side in annoyance from the tickling raindrops (what else could it have been?) and flinched when my cheek met grass. I inhaled deeply in shock and paused at the strange odor. It smelled strongly of wet sod, but different somehow. It was more pungent...sharper. I inhaled again, trying to figure out why my mind registered the familiar scent, but that it was somehow _wrong_. I struggled to open my eyes but they were heavy and unresponsive, almost as if…

Was I hungover? It made sense in a way. It wouldn't have been the first time I passed out after a fun night of partying. But that couldn't be right. I hadn't been drinking for months.

The wind picked up, rustling the grass and tugging at my damp clothes. A violent shiver tore through my body and for the first time I was able to register a faint niggling of worry. I was outside, with no idea where or how I got there, I was freezing, and I couldn't move. I struggled again to lift my eyes, and when I couldn't, worry transformed into panic.

Move dammit! Was this what hypothermia felt like? Was my body already shutting down? Was I going to die here like an idiot who decided to take a nap in the rain?

A clap of thunder went off like an explosion, causing adrenaline to spike horrifically through me as it shook the earth. My eyes snapped open with a startled gasp. Frantically I looked around and saw…nothing. I could feel the water falling obnoxiously into my open eyes, but I couldn't see! I clumsily sat up, at least relieved that the spell on my limbs was lifted.

I scanned my surroundings and realized that my problem wasn't blindness; it was the fact that it was night. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I began taking in details around me.

I was in a grassy field, as I had thought, at the top of what looked like a small hill. The rain made it difficult to see, but I could faintly make out a light at the bottom of the hill, perhaps half a mile from myself, that could be a house.

How on earth did I get out in the countryside? I lived in the middle of a city; there wasn't country in a twenty-mile radius in any direction. Another violent shiver worked through my body and I awkwardly folded my leaden arms across my chest for warmth. Again there was an intense feeling of wrongness, but I was too numb to figure out what. I ignored it for the moment and focused on getting to my feet. I had to get to the source of light in the distance. After much flailing, I managed to finally stand and take a few stumbling steps toward the hopefully life saving light. My balance was off horribly and it occurred to me that I might have a concussion. That would definitely go a long way in explaining why I was having so much trouble with normal motor functions. I felt so small under the roaring gale and tried to move faster. I stumbled a lot, and tripped more than once, leaving bloody gouges on my bare knees, but I finally made it, more than a little out of breath.

In front of me was a quaint two story house. It was light colored, with two porches, one on each floor. I struggled to the front porch and gazed longingly into the windows that showed bright enough to make me squint. An old wooden sign served as a resting post for my tired body and I leaned against it heavily. Although I had only walked half a mile, I felt exhausted, as if I hadn't eaten in days. I curled my arms around my stomach, a habit I had taken to in the past few months… and met nothing but air.

"What?" The rain took my voice, roaring in my ears. Slowly…so slowly…I dragged my hand from my sternum to my pelvis and felt nothing. Nothing!

The numbness I had been feeling fled from my body in a wash of vile adrenaline and I scrabbled frantically over my torso looking for something that should _be_ there, but _wasn't_! I tore off my shirt and stared down, squinting past the water in my panic filled eyes and straining to see by the dim light from the windows. To my abject horror, my blurred vision only registered what my other senses had been telling me. I looked past my flat _flat_ chest to see an equally flat stomach.

I screamed.

 _This isn't happening, this isn't happening, where is she, WHERE IS SHE!_

I howled incoherently into the air, gripping my torso in panic. This was wrong! WRONG! _It's not possible, how could I lose her WHERE IS SHE!_

The door to the house slammed open with a bang, but I did not hear it. Small hands roughly shook my shoulders, but I felt nothing. The rain pounded down around me still, but I was beyond its cold touch.

The only thing my panic filled mind could register was that I didn't know where I was, I was cold and tired and disoriented, and I was no longer carrying my beautiful unborn Alyssa.

 _Hello readers. I had this idea randomly on my way to Olive Garden and I thought I would inflict it upon you. I was wondering if the thing Ed had brought to life had a soul, and if so, where it came from. Thus this story was born. I've watched both of the FMA series and none of the comic books, so all of my content will come from there. No worries, this won't be a Mary Sue story, I will only make the characters as outlandish and ridiculous as they are in the series (which is pretty outlandish and ridiculous. Should be fun.)_

 _Constructive criticism is welcome, so please tell me what you think. This will be a multi chapter story and most of the chapters will probably be a lot longer than this one, but I think this length gets my point across. See you next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

"Alphonse?"

My eyes slide open slowly, only to be instantly snapped shut as the bright overhead light caused a stab of pain in my head. I sluggishly brought my arm up to cover my eyes and groaned. My voice rasped pathetically in the room, throat torn open from my screams. I must have blacked out from the shock. Dimly, I noticed I was dry and comfortable, save for the pain in my throat and head. Whoever was talking to me now must have pulled me out of the rain. My clothes were also dry.

For one quiet moment, I allowed myself to deny what I knew to be true. I allowed myself to imagine I was waking up by my lover's side. As he would every morning we woke together, he would gently rub my swollen belly in an achingly sweet fascination that only children and men were capable of, and then he would caress my hair. He would gently kiss my forehead before getting up to shower as I pretended I was still asleep. I would bask in the early morning glow of dawn, not willing to wake up. I would smell our scent on the covers that I threw over my head, the familiar scent of home.

But reality was a harsh mistress. What I smelled was not the comforting smell of home, but the harsh scents of motor oil, metal and antiseptic. I was not on my soft waterbed, but what felt like a hard cot. And it was not the gentle voice of my beloved calling for me to wake, but the rasp of an old crone. And I knew, without a doubt, that if I placed my hand on my stomach, as I had every day for the past five months, I would only feel the flat plane of one who is empty.

Agony washed through me anew. How could this happen? How could I have lost my baby without me noticing? It wasn't possible to have a miscarriage without noticing, that was just insane! Was it possible that I had just lost my memories? That was just too far fetched. But my hand twitched in remembrance of what I felt, what I was feeling. Empty. Tears slipped from underneath my arm and down my face.

"Alphonse!" The raspy voice I heard from earlier called loudly next to me, but I did not acknowledge her. "Al, can you hear me? Are you in pain?" I wish this old woman would just go away, couldn't she tell I was grieving? "Alphonse!" Why did this stupid old woman keep calling me that?

Finally, irritated that she would not shut up and leave me to my misery I grunted a response, irritating my injured voice. "That's not my name," I said harshly.

There was a startled gasp and the woman finally, blessedly fell silent. For one hopeful moment I thought she would leave me alone. But alas. "If that's not your name, then what is?"

I pulled my arm from my face and blinked rapidly until my vision cleared of tears and the harsh light. I turned my aching head to regard the woman beside me. The old woman was small, almost ridiculously so, only reaching just above the cot. Her thin lips were pulled back in a tight line and her eyes were wide open in shock behind round spectacles. Hysteria bubbled up in my throat, but I held it back with some effort. I was talking to a midget. Could this day possible get any weirder?

Belatedly I realized the woman had asked a question. "Alexandria," I muttered. I wondered idly if I was hysterical, since no matter how I cleared my throat, it still came out high pitched and breathy. "Are you a doctor," I continued with some effort. "I feel disoriented. I think I may have a concussion."

For a moment, the woman did not respond. She only continued to stare into my eyes as if I were the strangest thing she had ever seen. Irritation spiked in me again, but I held it back. Was this woman deaf?

Eventually, she answered. "You could say I'm a doctor." She walked to the other side of the room and I tracked her movements. I noticed for the first time that I was in a room with various equipment scattered around. On my other side there were a couple of monitors that I didn't recognize and a tray with wrenches, screwdrivers and a few other tools that were unfamiliar to me. The whole scene seemed a strange mix between a hospital room and a car garage.

The woman's return to my side pulled my out of my idle observations and when I met her eyes again I couldn't help but notice her slight flinch.

"My name is Pinako Rockbell," she introduced herself gently, "I am going to examine your head to see if you have any injuries. Is that alright?" I nodded dully and her small fingers began carding through my hair. She hummed to herself. "I don't feel anything, do you feel any pain?"

"Feels like I got kicked in the head and then thrown off a moving truck." I mumbled. Pinako nodded to herself and pulled out a small flashlight to check my pupils. Again, she reacted oddly, but seemed to shake it off to give me an examination. While she checked my responses she started asking me questions. I remembered this was standard procedure for head injuries and cooperated.

"What is your name?"

"Alexandria."

"What is today's Date?"

"August nineteenth."

Pinako pressed her lips together. "Where do you live?"

"Austin, Texas, United States of America." The questions were coming faster, and I struggled to keep up as she began looking over my body.

"When is your birthday?"

"October first."

"Are you male or female?"

"Female."

"Do you remember what you were doing before you passed out?"

"I was going to bed. I kissed my boyfriend goodnight and made sure the door was locked. Then I went to sleep. The next thing I know I'm in the middle of a field and I can barely move. I made it to a house nearby and then-then-" I couldn't continue. My hand clenched spasmodically over my flat stomach and a fresh wave of tears fell down my face.

Pinako immediately looked concerned. "What's the matter? Does your stomach hurt?" I shook my head in the negative and clenched my teeth painfully. "No," I ground out, "but it should. I should be in utter agony and bleeding to death. I should feel like someone has gutted me, and my organs are missing. I should because she's _not there_."

The old woman looked confused, and began forming the word 'who' on her lips before horrible realization overtook her features. "You were pregnant," she whispered.

Were. As in, past tense, as in, no longer. I was pregnant. And now I'm not. A sob passed my lips and I curled into myself, and heart-breaking shudders went through my frame as I tried without success to hold back my cries. Pinako gently patted my hair as I rode out the waves of my grief.

"Oh boys, what have you done?"

Eventually my cries subsided into choked gasps. Pinako never left my side, although it had to have been at least two hours. The pain in my head had only intensified with my sobs, and I was finding it hard to concentrate. But one question kept pounding through my mind. "What happened to me?"

The question was abrupt after hours of crying. Pinako paused in her gentle petting and sighed deeply. She looked over me contemplatively before bending over to dig in a box by her feet. Without looking up she said, "I'm not sure." She stood back up and brought a wet cloth to my face, drying my eyes as if I was a child. "A few days ago, Alphonse Elric and Edward Elric, two children who live nearby, came to my door in the middle of the night covered in blood. Edward had lost an arm and a leg, and Alphonse…I managed to save Edward's life, but neither of them would speak, other than to say 'I'm sorry'." The old woman shuddered and pulled back once my face was clear. She looked down at the floor. "I went to their house to investigate, and what I found was absolute Hell. There was a huge transmutation circle on the floor of their basement and in its center…I can only surmise that they were trying to bring back their deceased mother, but what they created wasn't human. I buried the poor creature in the back yard."

My muddled mind tried to grasp what the old woman was saying. Two kids were trying to bring their mother back to life? Like necromancy? What the heck was a transmutation circle? Out of all that, one thing registered clearly. "Alphonse…you called me that when I first woke up."

Pinako nodded. "You see, from what I can tell, the transmutation went horribly wrong. Somehow, Alphonse was ejected from his body and attached to a suit of Armor. I don't know much about Alchemy, but I can only assume that was Edward's doing. I figured his body was destroyed in order to fuel the recreation of Trisha Elric's body but…"

"But?" I intoned dully. Most of what she was saying was flying right over my head. I had no idea what she meant by Alchemy since all I knew about it was that it was a dead branch of science. And how could someone be ejected from his own body? What did all of this have to do with me?

Pinako sighed again, her expression pinched. Slowly she brought out a hand mirror and held it to my face. Familiar forest green eyes stared back at me, but that was where the similarities ended. A sad boy with wide eyes and short cropped, bright blonde hair gazed dully into the mirror. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. His eyes were red rimmed from crying and his small lips were swollen from being bitten down to stifle tears. I blinked, and so did the reflection.

"Is that–" I paused as the boy in the reflection spoke as well. I continued with a feeling of unreality. "Is that me?" I reached for the mirror and Pinako relinquished it gently.

"Yes. Somehow, you have been taken from where you were from and placed into Alphonse's body."

"How is this possible?" I choked out. I sat up slowly and began to really look at my body. I was small, probably no taller than four and a half feet. This body was young, but hard, as if it had gone through rigorous training or hard labor. I lifted my shirt to regard my flat chest and was startled to find abs where baby fat should have been. I stood abruptly and tore off the remainder of my clothes, which I now noticed were a pair of blue pajamas, and stared at disbelief at the body I was so suddenly thrust into. Indeed, where there should have been nothing, there was the penis of a prepubescent child. With a sick fascination, I poked at it, and flinched at the feeling. _This is so wrong. Disregarding the fact that all of this is absolutely impossible, why am I a prepubescent boy!_

I turned to Pinako in confusion. "Ok, assuming I am not hallucinating in the worst way, let's say I believe all of this. If I am in Alphonse's body, then what happened to mine?" A surge of sudden realization made me dizzy. Maybe my body was still alive! And that meant–

I looked at the old woman in desperation. "I don't want to give you false hope," she said slowly," but there is a possibility that your body is alive out there somewhere without a soul." My heart leapt into my throat. "But!" Pinako continued quickly when she saw my expression, "there is no way to tell that. It could very well be that your body has died from the extraction of your conscious self. As far as I know, nothing like this has ever happened."

My heart plummeted at her words and I stared down at the floor. That didn't sound too promising , but at least there was a possibility. "Is there any way to get back to normal?"

Pinako shook her head. "I don't know, but you could start by asking the person who brought you here in the first place. Edward Elric."

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

In the end it was Alphonse I met first.

Pinako left me in what I'd like to call the med-garage after helping me redress and settle back into the cot. She explained that she would go and explain to the boys what was going on, and that I should wait there while she broke the news. While I waited, I contemplated all I had learned.

A couple of ten year olds, assuming they were the same age, tried to use some form of necromancy to bring back there dead mother. The spell, or 'transmutation', went wrong and one was chopped in half and the other was ripped out of his body, and some kind of monster was created. And then, the boy's empty body was filled with a random soul. Me.

Crazy laughter bubbled up into my throat and came out in a strangled whine. This is the most insane, ridiculous, nonsensical thing that has ever happened to me. With despair I could only wonder what had happened to my body. Was I still asleep in my bed? Or did I die when I was brutally ripped out of my reality, causing my unborn child to die as well, and my lover to find that his budding family was destroyed in one fell swoop. I could almost convince myself that this was all just some twisted dream, but the pain in my head was real, and the sensations when I touched myself were real. I could only hope that my body had survived and they were able to keep me alive, at least until I could find a way back, or until the baby was born. Yes, as long as little Alyssa was born…

Depressing thoughts continued to swirl around my head until I was abruptly interrupted by what sounded like pots banging on the floor in the hallway. Alarmed, I sat up and jumped to the floor, hastily regaining my tenuous balance. Whatever was coming, I wanted to be ready for it.

A second later, the door was brutally slammed open, and I was faced with the largest man I had ever seen. He stood at least seven feet tall and was wearing a fierce looking suit of armor. The light gleamed off of sharp spikes and heartless metal, but what terrified me the most was the glowing red eyes that peered at me with malice. Before me was a demon, and I froze. My heart leapt into my throat and my muscles seized in terror as the demon paced towards me slowly, the metal armor banging on the floor like a peal of death. Was this what it was like to be stalked by a monster? Was I going to die? A leather hand reached towards me and I flinched badly with a startled cry and pressed against the wall.

"What is going on?" A timid voice that was identical to what I was starting to recognize as my own rang out of the armor with an odd tinny quality and I stopped dead in my attempt to escape. I looked slowly back into the eyes that had so scared me the moment before. "What are you? Why do you look exactly like me?" The child's voice was high pitched and wavering, as if trying not to cry.

Then it clicked. "Are-" the suit of armor flinched badly at the sound of his own voice, "Are you Alphonse?"

Instead of answering, the suit of armor crouched down to inspect me closer. "No," he said to himself, "its eyes are green. How can this be possible?" With a slight clank he reached forward to touch my face. I flinched away instinctively and he paused. "It's ok," he said gently, but his voice still wavered in disbelief. "I won't hurt you."

He slowly moved his hand closer, and this time I allowed it. He touched my face– and both of us reacted violently. I cried out in utter surprise as another's emotions invaded my mind. Like a sledgehammer I felt despair, confusion, terror and desperate sadness overtake my own emotions. Combined with my own, the feelings were too much to handle, and I nearly shut down in order to escape it.

A few moments passed by and I wearily opened my eyes as the feelings faded. The pain in my head was back with a vengeance and I found it hard to focus my vision. I blearily looked around the room from where I had fallen to find the real Alphonse on the other side of the room, his arms wrapped about his legs and his head buried in his knees. Oddly enough, he was trembling, the suit of armor vibrating and clanking together. A little after I looked over, he lifted his head and stared at me.

It was in that stalemate that Pinako decided to make her appearance. "Alphonse, what–" she took in the scene, both of us staring across the room, my face one of terror and Alphonse inscrutable. "What happened?"

"Granny, what is that thing?" Alphonse asked. "It looks exactly like me, but it's not." His voice shook, and I could barely make out what he was saying.

Pinako grimaced, but answered in a soothing voice. "Al, this is Alexandria. Like I was trying to tell you, it looks like she was taken from her own body and somehow filled the space in yours."

"But that's impossible! Ed said it disappeared during the transmutation!" He shouted suddenly, startling us both.

"I know Al, but look at him-er-her! If there is another explanation, I would love to hear it!"

His head snapped over in my direction and I flinched at his sudden movement, half expecting another backlash of foreign emotions. That didn't happen, but what did terrified me more. "If that's the case," he said, his voice getting dangerously sharp, "then give me my body back!" The trapped boy's voice rang loudly through the armor and shattered off the walls. He stalked forward menacingly and I did my best to press myself through the wall. His fist slammed into the space next to my head and I cried out.

"Alphonse!" Pinako barked sharply. Alphonse froze, hovering over me like a statue. I looked up with my wide terrified eyes and flinched when I heard a soft whimper. There were no tears, no possible way to tell how his face looked, but I realized with startling clarity that he was crying. My fear drained away, and what he said broke my heart all over again. "I'm sorry," he whispered with his strange echoing voice, "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," was my automatic response, even though the words rang hollow, and even as I was sure he was not talking to me. It was not ok, and it may never be ok again. But it seemed like that was all Alphonse needed to hear. His whimpers continued and I wished I could reach out to him, but I was afraid of what I had felt earlier. So I just sat, and allowed my own tears to fall.

Pinako sighed by the door and pulled Alphonse away from me. She led him out of the room with soft whispers I could not make out. When she returned, she silently helped me back onto the bed. She swiped her hands over my unfamiliar blonde locks. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day. It's late, and we should all get some rest. I will come wake you in the morning." When I didn't respond, she left and turned off the light with a soft goodnight. I fell into a troubled sleep minutes later.

 _Whew, that was some emotional rollercoaster. Don't worry guys, this story isn't going to turn into a sob-fest, this is just the beginning. I have to work through all this nasty emotional stuff to get to the action. I'm really not sure what color Alphonse's eyes are, but in most of the pictures I see of him as a human they look light brown, thus why everyone is reacting to Alex's eyes in shock._

 _About Alexandria. The reason I had her a pregnant woman was because that was the most traumatic way I could think of to be taken from your body; with another person directly relying on you to survive. That, along with the fact that she has become of the opposite sex, just adds to the overall drama. Her coming to terms with becoming a He should be pretty fun to write. There is going to be quite a bit of commentary on gender identity throughout this fic._

 _Well, tell me what you think! See you next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Warning: Language, angst and fluff._

Pinako found me the next morning staring dully out the window in the kitchen. I had awoken sometime before dawn and could not force myself to go back to sleep. I found a strange old-fashioned coffee maker in the kitchen, which looked like something from the 1920's. I put it to immediate use, afraid of the unsettling dreams I had the night before. It burned like a bitter acid on my tongue, and this body was clearly not used to the acquired taste.

My new body was…strange. My nose was sharper than I ever remember it being, as well as my eye site. I had perfect vision, while in my other life I wore glasses. I was a lot shorter than I was before this whole debacle, and still I struggled to balance. Where my wide hips should be they were narrow. Where there should have been weight on my front there was none. Where before I had waist length chestnut hair, it was now short and light blonde, falling into my eyes. I brushed my bangs aside irritably. I had never liked the way short bangs felt, preferring to grow my hair out beside my face. But this was not my body. Did it even matter anymore what my own preferences were?

Brushing aside that unsettling thought, I decided to try and figure out where I was. All I could see from my vantage point was rolling grass hills in every direction, so there was no help there. I also could not place the accents that Alphonse and Pinako had talked with, since I had always been pretty bad at distinguishing those. When you grow up in a melting pot like America, all of the accents just kind of blended together. Besides that, it wasn't that strong, and I could understand them perfectly.

Who's to say I was even on earth anymore? I mean, everything looked normal, besides the unusually short Pinako, and even then, midgets weren't all that rare. Also, the technology was the same, if a bit outdated. But that could just be Pinako's taste. Old people were sometimes like that. It wasn't like there were any establishments close-by to compare to. In fact, it didn't look like there was anything out here at all, except for a dirt road leading off into the distance, the grass colored pink by the slow sunrise peaking over the hills.

Ok, so probably on Earth then. However, this was not my Earth, surely. As far as I knew, there was no such thing as binding souls to suits of armor or bringing back the dead. So was this some kind of alternate reality? It was a possibility.

The sun drifted higher, allowing the pink to bleed into blue. My Kyle, my lover, would be waking up right about now. I wonder what he would find, my body in a coma? Or maybe-

I cut off my thoughts with a scalding gulp of coffee. I could not bear to think it. If I were to survive this situation with my sanity intact, I would need to avoid thinking the worst. I tried my best to empty my mind and control my emotions. Today was going to be long and trying, and I needed my focus.

That was how Pinako found me. She found a young boy staring out into the sunrise, a blank expression on his face. Dull green eyes reflected the morning light, heavy bags underneath them. She took in the scene for a moment before grunting and busying herself with a foot stool so she could get her own coffee.

"You shouldn't drink coffee you know, you'll stunt your growth." Her voice was a dry rasp that brought me out of my musings. I did not turn, only replied in a somewhat bitter tone, "I have already done my growing."

Pinako sighed but did not comment. I wondered what she thought about all of this. Alphonse had called her granny, so they could be family. Was she looking on me with resentment, since I stole her grandson's body? I cast a furtive glance in her direction, but detected no malice. She only looked tired, a sad frown causing deep lines to etch in her face.

Her old wizened face only made me feel guilty for using such a harsh tone, so I looked away just as quickly and set the rest of my coffee to the side. It tasted terrible anyway. Uncomfortably I cleared my throat. "Can I meet Edward today? Is he stable?"

Pinako did not answer for a long time. I waited patiently for her answer. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen that face so serious," she said wistfully. "Those boys have been through a lot this past year, and even more in the last few days. I would ask you to be as gentle as you can, and to not antagonize them."

My face crumpled in sudden crushing fury, obliterating the calm I had created before. Me, antagonize _them? They_ were the ones who ripped me from my world and forced me into this body. _They_ were the ones who stole me away from my precious unborn baby who could be _dead_ for all I know! I was forced into a body that was drastically different from my own, and there may never be the chance to go back. I think I have the fucking _right_ to be upset!

Pinako must have caught onto my mood, because she hastily retracted her statement. "I don't mean you shouldn't be upset with them, or that what happened wasn't absolutely horrible, but those boys are seriously hurting right now." She paused and took a deep breath, not cowed by the ferocious glare I sent her way. "Yelling at them won't change things any faster…they are just boys who lost there mother and made a terrible mistake."

I furiously turned back to the window. "And in doing so, they stole my birth given right to be a mother myself." My voice was dripping with acid, and an equal amount of despair. As far as I was concerned, they had kidnapped me and murdered my baby, and sterilized me in one fatal blow. And I was not so quick to forgive them just because of their age.

"They have lost just as much," Pinako said softly. I shook my head in denial of her compassion. She walked to my side of the table at which we sat and pulled me slowly around to face her. "They may be too young to understand this, but I know you can. Once you become a parent, you learn that the world does not revolve around you alone, and that others are depending on you. I need you to understand that these children are hurting right now, and they cannot be expected to react rationally. Edward in particular has always been…expressive. He may react violently to your presence. Even though I am a complete stranger and I have no right, I am asking you to keep a cool head like the mother I know you to be."

Her face was completely serious, but held warmth that I only ever felt from my own mother. I clenched my teeth. It wasn't fair. They were rational enough to do a complicated ritual to remake their mother, but they weren't rational enough to take responsibility for their actions? And I, who had lost everything through the fault of another, was forced to show compassion to the strangers who had not only destroyed their own lives, but mine as well. How could that possibly be right?

But then I remembered the desolate face that was shown to me in the mirror, the suit of armor that had wept above me, begging for forgiveness from the world at large with none but myself to answer, and the intense feelings that had consumed me when we touched. Those were not the emotions and remorse from a monster, but a child who had lost everything he held dear. And if Edward felt anything close to what I experienced from Alphonse…I sighed deeply and tried my best to push down my fury. Pinako was right, they were just kids. They were children who made a grievous mistake, but children non-the-less.

Pinako sensed my calm and patted me approvingly on the shoulder. "Edward is in no more danger of dying, bar a sudden infection. That doesn't seem likely though only time will tell. Until last night, he had not regained consciousness, so his mental wounds are still fresh. It will be to him as if his experience only happened hours ago. Allow me a little while to break the news to him." As she shuffled out of the kitchen she threw over her shoulder, "Help yourself to anything we have. You are welcome to stay as long as you like."

 _As if I have a choice_ , I thought bitterly to myself. With a mental shake I brushed off the last of my bitterness for now. It was not like it was helping anything, and it was only serving to alienate the only people who were helping me and knew my situation. There would be time in the dead of night, when all hope was gone and I lay alone, to regret and grieve the turns my life had taken. But that time was not now. Right now I had to be strong, because I no longer had anyone to fall back on. I was alone.

Half an hour later saw me sitting in the sun on the grass just a few yards from the front porch. I chewed on a sandwich as I lazily watched the clouds go by and tried not to think of anything. It really was a lovely place, wherever I was. The grass glowed a beautiful bright green in the early morning sun as it was swept in waves by the gentle warm breeze. There was no sign of the violent storm that tore through the countryside the night before save the slight dampness in the grass below my seat. Similarly, my emotions had calmed. I had always been a bit odd like that. When I was sad or angry the emotion would tear through me like a flash fire, violent and sudden, and then burn out just as quickly. My grief had finally subsided to a dull, manageable ache in my chest and I was no longer in danger of being consumed. It was still hard, and I was still so very sad, but my sanity was intact.

The now somewhat familiar sound of clanging metal interrupted my silent contemplation and I anticipated the arrival of Alphonse, this time a bit more prepared with what to expect. The clanking stopped beside me and I did not open my eyes, but waited for him to make the first move. After a moment, he sat beside me and I turned to regard him. He had pulled his legs to his chest again and had folded his arms over them childishly, the pose looking a bit absurd on such a fierce looking suit of armor. "So you're Alexandria," Alphonse's sweet voice tentatively broke the ice. The tinny quality made it decidedly difficult to decipher his mood but I could tell he was just as desolate as yesterday, if not a bit more controlled.

"I guess it's Alexander now," I tried to joke, but even to my own ears it sounded flat. I snorted mirthlessly to myself and Alphonse did not respond. A slightly awkward silence fell over us after that and I let it sit, content to wait for him to continue. Eventually he did.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"No." I said at length. "If you mean do I remember the night you tried to bring your mother back then I'm afraid I can't help you. From what Pinako tells me, I showed up three days after the fact, but I don't really know how long I was out there. One minute I was sleeping in my own home and then, bam, there I was in the middle of a field in this body."

"You mean we somehow stole your soul."

My head whipped around at his tone. The statement was uttered with the terrible conviction of one who knew they were right and was devastated because of it. "How old were you?" He continued.

"…23."

"Did you have a family?"

"Alphonse." I knew where this was going. These questions would lead down a self-destructive path that neither of us needed at the moment; the path of self-blame.

He plowed on anyway, disregarding the warning in my tone. He was looking down at the ground and no longer seemed to notice I was there. "Were you married? Did you have a home? _A child?"_

"Alphonse!" My shout startled him into looking up and he found me in his face, gripping his helmet. I looked into the bright red eyes floating in the black abyss that had so frightened me the night before. Instantly at my touch I felt the same drastic influx of emotion that I had felt hours earlier, but this time, with my own emotions in check, I was able to handle it. I shouted in surprise, but did not let go. "Now is not the time to be thinking about that." I tried to go for comforting, but my voice was slightly strained. "None of us have any power to change what was, and feeling guilty will not solve anything." The boy's emotions were spiraling out of control, but my words seemed to bring him back into focus. I released him and plopped back down beside him, suddenly feeling tired. Feeling that much emotion was exhausting enough for one person, but feeling the emotions of two was almost unbearable.

Alphonse nodded, but I wasn't sure if it was in response to what I said or his own thoughts. "That happened last night as well," he said in a calmer tone. "It's like, when you touch me I can feel everything again." He lifted his hands and stared what I fancied as forlornly at the leather and metal appendages. "This body does not allow me to feel anything. Not the wind or the touch of another or even pain. But when we touch, it's like I suddenly have all of my senses back, but I can feel your emotions as well."

I looked up at the sky and rolled that one around in my head. "Yeah, that's pretty weird all right. I can't say I know anything at all about this Alchemy thing, so I couldn't tell you what that's about. What do you think?"

"Well," Alphonse started slowly, "bodies might be just naturally attracted to the souls they were born with, so it might just be that we are connected, and that connection gets really strong when we touch."

I hummed to myself. "If that's the case, then why doesn't your soul just push mine out and be done with it?" That was a terrifying prospect. What would happen to me then?

"I don't know…Brother would know…"

The silence fell between us again, but this time it was a more companionable one.

"Say Alphonse," I drew my knees up to mirror his position, something that hadn't felt comfortable to me in a long while in my own body, "do you remember what happened? Or maybe what might have happened to me?"

"…I'm sorry, but I don't remember what happened that night either. I recall Brother and I putting our hands on the transmutation circle to complete the ritual, but I blacked out after that. The next thing I remember I am in this body and Brother is losing a lot of blood. So much blood…And that thing we created," Alphonse's voice began to tremble, "it wasn't even her…it was in pain and we created it! It was screaming–"

"Hey!" I shouted, slapping the back of my hand on his armor. I instantly regretted it as I felt his emotional backlash again and we both flinched, but I brushed it aside. "What did I say about self-blame?"

"None of us have the power to change what was, and feeling guilty will not solve anything," Alphonse intoned as if reciting a law from a book. I blinked, slightly impressed that he had remembered that word for word. He made my hasty words seem like an elegant line from an epic, but I supposed this was a prodigy we were speaking of. When I was ten, I was still playing with Hotwheels, not bringing people back from the dead, so I couldn't relate in the least. It was a little sad that these kids had given up their childhood, accidental or not, and that their innocence was gone forever.

"Hey Alexandria, can I hold your hand," Alphonse said timidly. I looked at him seriously and considered it. He said that when he was touching me, or his own body rather, he could feel again. I couldn't imagine how hard it must be to lose all of your senses except for sight. But still…

"Are your emotions under control? It seems to be really hard on my-er-your body to and my mind feel the emotions of two people." Also, it was incredibly invasive on both our parts.

"It's ok, you can say it's your body for now. It's just too confusing otherwise," he said kindly. "Yeah, I think I'm calm now. Please, I know it's a lot to ask, but I'd give anything to be able to feel again, even if all I feel is pain…"

"Alright," I sighed. I extended my hand and he took it, the warm leather bending around my small digits with a creak. It was hard at first, but by suppressing my own emotions in order to accommodate his, I was able to give us a balance of sorts. This wasn't a healthy way to do this in the long term, but it was something we could work on until we were returned to normal (I refused to think 'if we were returned to normal'). Alphonse sighed in contentment and I could feel his emotions smoothing out just a little more.

"Hey, you smiled!" I said.

"How can you tell?" I looked pointedly at our gripping hands. "Oh," he giggled, and it had to have been the cutest laugh I had ever heard. Maybe all of their innocence wasn't gone after all.

"Hey Alphonse."

"You can call me Al if you want. All my friends do."

"Al," I said with a slight smile. This kid was just too cute. I can't believe I was afraid of him when we first met, despite the intimidating armor. "Then you can call me Alex. All my friends do." A little bit of warmth seeped through our linked hands and both of us giggled this time. "You're a smart kid. Can you tell me about this place? Like where I am, how this world works and what this alchemy business is?"

"Sure," he said, voice just a little more cheerful. With that he launched into an in-depth explanation that my college professors would have been proud of. Cripes, this kid was intelligent.

For the rest of the morning I sat beside my new friend Alphonse, our hands linked, as he shared the wild tale of his world.

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

My first impression of Edward was 'what a pathetic looking creature'. A small boy sat slumped over in a wheelchair, golden bangs hanging over a gaunt, pale face. Gold(?) eyes set over heavy dark bags looked up to regard me. Thin pale lips pinched together under a perfectly straight nose. Overall it was the most forlorn and defeated expression I had ever had the privilege of seeing.

One leg dangled over the edge of the wheelchair that was too big for him, while the other was merely a stump wrapped tightly in white bandages. Similarly, his opposite arm was missing, his other hand limp in defeat.

I stood before him, with Al at my back, my body straight and tall and perfect, and I am ashamed to say that I felt pity. This was not the monster I had envisioned that stole me from my home, but a pitiable child who got too close to the sun. All I could see was the aftermath of his fall.

But still I couldn't clamp down on the undeniable anger I was feeling. Al had explained to me that it had been Edward's idea to bring back their mother, and that it had been Edward who insisted past all of his little brother's pleading to do otherwise. Of course he hadn't said it like that, but that was definitely how I understood it.

I stared at him blankly, waiting for him to speak first.

"So you're her," he said. I flinched internally at the sound of his voice. It was breathy and low, and filled with pain. On any other man, I might have said it was attractive, but on this child it sounded freakishly mature compared to the sweet voice of his brother.

"Him now, actually." I said without inflection. Al shifted slightly behind me, but Edward did not react to my deliberate jab.

"You're eyes are green," he continued, as if I had not spoken at all. "How could this happen….My calculations were perfect…was it–" Edward slumped down even further and continued to mumble to himself incoherently.

"Brother," Alphonse whimpered beside me, but Ed did not acknowledge him. Anger flared within me. This was my only hope to get home? This pathetic child who could not deal with the consequences of his actions?

"Edward Elric," I snapped loudly. His head jerked up in response to his little bother's voice using his full name in anger. "I get it, your upset, but I need you to focus. You are the only one who remembers what happened that night and you may be the only one who can make it right."

"Don't talk to me like that using _his_ voice!" He shouted suddenly, "How can you possibly understand what I am going through, you're just an invader in my brother's body! You're just–" Edward cut himself off and flinched badly at the expression on my face.

I didn't _understand_? I was an _invader_? As if I was the one who had stolen Al's body away from him, like I had wanted to! Like I had a choice! Like I had wanted to be ripped away from the happiness I had finally found in my own life! Just like a damn kid he was trying to put the blame on anyone else but himself! What was next, was he going to blame his failed transmutation on me, or blame me for giving him the idea in the first place? How _dare_ he! I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but Al beat me to it.

"Brother!" he barked, the sound ringing harshly. Edward's despairing eyes switched over to his real little brother, who continued in a softer tone. "Don't blame Alex for our mistakes."

Edward slumped forward, breaking eye contact with us both. "I'm sorry," he whispered in that hitched, too deep voice of his, "I'm so sorry…."

Disgusted, and tired of listening to this pathetic pity fest, I turned on my heel and stalked out of the room, cussing badly when I stumbled over my unfamiliar feet. Al made a slight noise of protest, but didn't follow me as I slammed the door. If that child really was my only way of getting home, then I was surely doomed.

 _Hello again! I realize that it is unusual for someone to update so often, but I get kind of obsessed when I have an Idea, and this one seems to be flowing so easily for me. School starts next week, so I probably can't keep this up for long, but for now I'm going to write my heart out!_

 _Like I promised, it wasn't all angst this chapter. Yay for Alphonse cuteness! Ed's kind of being a dick right now, but Ed will be Ed. Next Chapter: A certain Colonel will come-a-calling to kick our little Ed into gear!_

 _Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed or just visited! You guys make it all worth it! Constructive Criticism and plot ideas welcome. Please tell me what you think. See you next time!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey guys! Here's the next instal of Substitute Soul. Whew, I've written over 10,000 words in two days! Need more coffee...Thanks everyone for reviewing/favoriting/following or just plain reading this story! It's only been two days, and I've already got 80 views! I want to give a special shout out to Shiloh Moon, BuggyNess and Helios. for leaving such kind reviews. Don't worry Helios, I haven't forgotten Winry! I was just waiting for the right moment since it was kind of hard to shuffle all of these characters around at one time. I wanted to introduce her after I dealt with Ed to keep things a little less complicated. Also, I will be drawing from both FMA and FMAB, since I like some scenes in one or the other. The timeline will also be shamelessly toyed with to suit my own purposes. Well, I'll shut up now. Enjoy!_

"Um…" A small voice drifted from the doorway.

"What," I grunted irritably. My head was face down on the kitchen table where I slumped, my arms hanging listlessly at my sides.

"He didn't mean it," the voice continued. I looked up and saw yet another child looking back at me with forlorn eyes. Just how many kids were running around this place anyway? It was a young girl with light blond hair (I was starting to wonder if everyone in this world had blond hair, or if they were just all related). She had pretty blue eyes and was dressed in a cute pink sundress. I immediately regretted my harsh tone.

"I know he didn't," I said, much more gently. It wasn't this pretty girl's fault that Edward was being an unbalanced prick. I knew I was being unfair to the boy, but his words still stung, and I just wasn't in the right mind to forgive him at the moment. At my change in tone, the girl smiled tentatively and joined me at the table.

"My name is Winry."

"Alex–" I was about to say 'Alexandria' but that wasn't quite right anymore, was it? I was no longer a woman, and having a woman's name would just cause unnecessary confusion on everyone else's part. "Alexander," I said decisively, "but you can just call me Alex." That wouldn't be too bad, since that was my nickname in my other life anyway.

Winry frowned at my choice of name. Obviously she had heard my story from Pinako, but she didn't comment. Smart girl. I was really in no mood to discuss it at the moment.

Sensing my mood, it seemed like Winry had had enough. She bounced off her chair and took my hand, tugging a little. "Come on Alex, let's go outside!" She flashed me an adorable grin. For a moment I was stunned at her easy acceptance, but the feeling was swiftly taken over by gratitude. She was trying to cheer me up. I nodded and gave a small smile of my own. Maybe some fresh air would do me some good. "Thanks Winry." She pulled me out of the dark kitchen and into the sunlight.

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

Days passed, and with the help of Al and Winry, I started to get the hang of my new body. I found that not only was my equilibrium off because of my change in bone structure and height, but because this world was just different. It felt like gravity was somehow less here, not enough to change things drastically, but enough that I was able to jump higher and move faster than I was sure was even possible in my own world. Al's body was also cut hard, like a diamond, and more physically fit than I ever was in my own. I wondered just what kind of physical training he was used to to get so fit at his age.

Alphonse was also having a tough time adjusting to his new body, his big bulky frame causing him to misjudge his strength and run into doorways. I found it kind of fascinating that even though the armor was hollow, it functioned just as well as if it had moving muscles. Alphonse really had to concentrate when he touched things, because his strength was astronomical compared to what my body was capable of. If he gripped something too hard, it was likely to shatter.

Also in this time, I dedicated myself to learning about my new world. I was constantly grilling Al and Winry about how things worked, especially what the government was like and how Alchemy worked.

It turned out that I was in a place called Amestris, which was like a huge military state, with a commander-in-chief serving as a king. Winry brought me a book that had a map in it, and I discovered just how very different our two worlds looked. There were no familiarities between the continents of my world and the seemingly one giant continent that was this world. Amestris looked like a giant circle surrounded by even larger countries. "Where are the oceans?" I asked after looking at the map. Winry gave me a confused look. "Do you mean the Great Sea? That covers the other half of the planet, but I don't have a map of it. There isn't really much out there." That was interesting news. So this planet basically had one continent, just like Pangaea millions of years ago in my version of reality.

Alchemy was even more foreign to me than this world's geography and government. I could not make heads or tales of the complicated textbooks and Al's dizzying explanations. My own world's physics and sciences had made little sense beyond basic understanding to me, and Alchemy was no different. I just didn't have the mind for it. When Alphonse showed me a transmutation, I was floored. He just drew a circle in the dirt, and a flash of lightning later, there was a little toy horse where only dirt and rocks had been. "Ok, I get that you can't make something out of nothing and that you need the exact amount of materials to make something of equivalent value. That's basic science. But what I don't get is, where does the energy for these reactions come from?"

"There are several theories in regards to that," Al started in what I came to recognize as his 'instructor voice', " the primary being…" The more I listened, the more my headache grew. Just about everything he was saying was way over my head, and after a while I just gave up on understanding. Yup, definitely not cut out for this Alchemy business. From what I understood, Alphonse was somewhat of a prodigy, and no matter how much he dummed it down for me, I just couldn't keep up.

There was something that both Alphonse and I shared common ground in, and I was delighted to find out that he was also a martial artist. Martial Arts was something I had been into for as long as I could remember, and I had started training right about the age that my current body was. It was something I never skipped if I could help it, and I hadn't been able to train for months because of my pregnancy. I had dearly missed it, and found in the following days that it not only helped me to regain control of my motor functions, but it helped me maintain a sense of normalcy. I was still me, and I could still do something I loved. Alphonse and I seemed evenly matched in our fighting abilities, a fact that kind of irked me. How could a kid who could only have been training for a couple years match someone like me, who had been training for a decade? It may have been the way we had been taught, but it could also just have been his prodigal side peeking through again. I decided not to let it bother me, and just enjoy the fact that we shared a passion.

Al and I continued to work on our connection. We found that if we both did meditation techniques before we touched, we could strike a balance, as it were, with our emotions. It was an extremely intimate experience, one that made us irrevocably close. When we were connected, we could feel exactly what the other felt, but in a mutual understanding we never spoke of it. I never asked him about his pain, and similarly he never spoke of mine. In that way, he was able to feel again, and I didn't feel quite so alone.

Days passed into weeks, and I saw little to none of Edward. He refused to come out of the room where we had met, and Pinako took care of his body's needs with silent stoicism. He did not talk to anyone but Alphonse, and would not even look at me. I didn't know if it was out of guilt or disgust, but either way, I had little to no hope that he would be able to help me return to normal. So, for the moment, I lived in the now. That small, pale boy was broken, and none of us knew how to fix him. I never stopped thinking of home, but for now it was an impossible dream.

It was on one of the days I sat outside by myself contemplating this, when I observed two people wandering up the dirt road. Everyone else was in the house doing this or that and I was seated underneath a shade tree nearby. I did not move, hoping they would not notice me and observed them with interest, for they were the first people I had seen outside of Pinako's family. I was about one hundred yards away, so I could not make out too many details, but I could tell the one leading was a man, and the second person walking two paces back was a slightly smaller woman. The man was tall with black hair, the first person I had seen like that, confirming that there was diversity, and the woman had the familiar blond. Both wore what looked to be blue uniforms and walked with purpose.

Probably military or some kind of government officials, I thought, remembering what I had learned. I could not tell if this was a good or bad thing, so I continued to observe to see how Pinako would react to them. The two figures reached the house and knocked. Pinako answered the door and after a brief exchange, they were admitted to the house. Before she went back inside, Pinako looked over to where I was sitting and raised her hand in a halting motion. The message was clear. Stay away.

So, not good then. I contemplated whether or not to obey. I didn't know much about this world's politics, but from what I gathered, this military was no stranger to taking things by force. It could be really dangerous but…Oh who was I kidding, there was no way I could hold back my curiosity.

I quickly snuck from my position by the tree and ran to the house, careful not to be in view of any windows. I paused underneath the kitchen window. I was in luck. It was open, and I could hear everything that was said from my vantage point.

"…heard there was a talented alchemist living in this town, I came down from Central to see him for myself." A smooth male voice drifted through the open window. "The last thing I expected to find was a boy skilled enough to attempt human transmutation, nor advanced enough to bind a soul to a suit of armor. I'd say he's more than qualified to become a State Alchemist. Should he choose to accept the position, he will be required to assist the military in times of national emergency, and in exchange, he'll receive otherwise restricted access to research materials in Central Library. Given time, they may be able to find a way to get there bodies back, or even more."

My heart leapt into my throat. So there was a way! It wasn't just a fantasy, but something that could actually happen. If Edward became a State Alchemist, he might be able to find away to put everything right. It was too good to be true.

I tuned back into the conversation just as Pinako finished yelling. The man no longer seemed to be addressing her though. "I'm not forcing you, I'm merely offering you the possibility." Wait, Edward was out of the bedroom? That was new. "Will you sit in that chair wallowing in self pity, or will you stand up and seize the chance the military can give you? If you believe there is any chance of getting your bodies back you should keep moving, whatever it takes, even if the way ahead lies through a river of blood." With that, I heard a scrape and boots walking towards the door. I quickly shuffled around the corner when I realized they were leaving.

They walked out the door and I heard the woman talk for the first time. "Well, I guess this is goodbye young lady."

"It's Winry," I heard the young girl reply. The woman said a quick goodbye with a promise to meet again. Alphonse and Pinako also stepped outside to see their visitors off. As soon as they were out of site, I ran forward to stand next to Al. "Is it true?"

Al seemed startled by my sudden appearance. He looked back down the road. "I don't know. But I believe it's possible. I have to."

I nodded and turned back to the house. I found Edward in the kitchen, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a surge of hope. In that boy's eyes, I no longer saw the look of defeat, but hard golden orbs filled with determination. He looked me in the eye for the first time since the day we met.

"Are we going to get our bodies back?" I asked.

"We are going to get our bodies back." He replied.

 _Hokay! another quick note before I let you guys go, just to answer some questions I know will be asked. Is it unrealistic that the woman whose soul was taken just happened to be a martial artist? I think not. I myself am a 21 year old woman, and I have a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do, a purple in Kung Fu, and an orange in Philippine Martial arts, as well as a spattering of knowledge of several others. Is it luck of astronomical proportions that Alex can fight? Yes. But there is just no way I am having a dead weight character. So yeah._

 _Also, I do not intend to have Alex learn Alchemy for several reasons. First of all, not everyone can be a bad-ass prodigy. It's just not realistic, or else everyone in Amestris and their mothers would be Alchemists. Two main character Alchemists are enough for one story._

 _One last thing. I will be referring to Alex as a guy from here on out. There will be a lot of references to his past and he won't just suddenly start acting like a dude, but he clearly made his choice at the beginning of this chapter. Also, it's just plain less confusing._

 _Next chapter: Alex says goodbye for a little while. Review please!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Well, I didn't want Helios to suffocate, so here's the next chappie!_

A week later, I left the Rockbell household.

There was a lot of protesting (on Edward's part) and a lot of tears (on Al's and Winry's part), but in the end I won, and we parted ways.

The week before I left had been…up-lifting, to say the least. Edward finally got off his scrawny ass (figuratively, the kid was still in a wheel chair) and we made a plan. He would join the military and suck every bit of knowledge out of them he could, and Al and I would be right behind him. At first Edward resisted us coming along. It was all his fault, Al doesn't need to do anything, blah, blah, blah. We snapped him out of that real quick. Well, Al and I kind of ganged up on him, so he didn't have a chance with our cute charms to contend with. I had to sigh when I thought about the fact that I got saddled with a self-sacrificing idiot, but Ed really wasn't all that bad once you got to know him I guess.

He finally owned up to not only what he had done to him and his brother, but also what he had done to me. We had a long in-depth awkward talk in which I held back most of the bad stuff, like the fact that I had had a family of my own, only telling him that I would very dearly like to go back, and could you please do that for me Edward? I could tell he didn't know what to make of me, and kept stuttering around me, but I left him to keep on guessing. I know I was being mean, but I just couldn't help it. I was still kind of angry (ok, a lot angry) about what he had done, and that was Reason One for my departure. I needed to distance myself a little so I could let go of some of this crippling anger that was preventing me from being a civil human being.

The Second Reason was this: Edward would need to get fitted with automail before he was going anywhere. I was floored to discover that a society that seemed to be trapped in the early 1900's technology-wise was already advanced enough to create a robotic arm or leg that attached directly to the nervous system. It even responded just as quickly as a flesh counterpart! Not even the technology at home was that advanced yet. Evolution divergence really was strange. Winry explained to me that the procedure was very painful, and it would take at least two years for Edward to be able to function normally again, and then who knows how long training to become a State Alchemist. That was just too long to be sitting around doing nothing in my book.

Reason Three: I wanted to improve my Martial Arts skills. Both Edward and Alphonse were already at my level (from what Al has told me) from only two years of training. I _needed_ to find their teacher and beg her to train me. If I was going to be following around these superhuman boys, with all their Alchemy and insane backflips, I was going to need to be a part of their team, and that meant being their equal. This world was dangerous, if half of what I had heard about this country was true, and I needed to be prepared, especially if I was going to be smack-dab in the middle of military work.

The Final Reason: Alphonse was becoming too dependent on me, and it was becoming unhealthy. For the sake of feeling, he was attached to me as often as he could get away with; at mealtimes to taste what I ate or at night to be able to sleep and share my dreams, and it was slowly driving us both insane. It was as if my presence was a barrier to his healing and accepting what happened. Also, I could feel this 'empathy' link getting stronger and I was getting pulled along. It was getting harder for me to distinguish his feelings from mine every time we 'connected' and I was afraid of what that meant. We still didn't know why his soul didn't just push mine out and go back to its body. Edward theorized that the soul seal that attached Al to his armor was preventing him from fully taking over my borrowed body. But it was only a theory. For all we knew, he could be slowly pushing me out, and then what would happen to me? I needed to leave, and Al reluctantly agreed. I supposed I was lucky that neither one of the boys seemed to think it was a good idea to just shuck me and re-attach Al's soul. They seemed Hell-bent on getting me back to where I belonged. And for that, I was grateful.

So we made a plan. I would leave and Edward would get healthy again. In two years time, I would return, stronger than I was before, and then we would head to Central together as the Elric Brothers Three.

At first I resisted the idea of basically becoming their brother in all but soul (cause, you know, I was kind of their blood brother), but Alphonse was insistent. In the end I agreed, it would be the easiest way to explain why I was so similar to Edward without getting into all of the awkward details of being basically a substitute in someone else's body. And I was ok with being Al's brother, he was a sweet kid, but I didn't think Edward would ever think about me that way, nor I about him. As a cover story though…it was a good plan. So that's what we would do.

So after a tearful (Winry and Al) and sullen (Edward) goodbye, I found myself in front of the home of Edward and Alphonse's Alchemy teacher. And I was sweating bullets.

She couldn't possibly be as bad as they say. Did she really throw knives and leave them on a deserted island just to learn some obscure Alchemical truth? Was I going to be strong enough for this? I gulped and took a bracing breath before lifting my hand to knock on the door. I was twenty-three damnit! She couldn't possibly be that much more intimidating than my last Martial Arts instructor, Master Diaz. That man was five-foot-full of the ferocity of a Tasmanian devil. If I could train under him, I could train under anyone!

Or maybe I was overestimating myself. The second my fist met the door, it was slammed open in my face, sending me sprawling back on my ass, nursing what was sure to be a black eye.

"What!" shouted the fiercest looking woman I had ever laid eyes on. She was easily three feet taller than me and built like a tank. Her arms, though slim, were corded with muscle and I was sure if I could see though her white tunic, her core would be hard as a rock. Her hair was long and braided back in dreadlocks tied into a pony-tail, and she wore a furious expression. She glared at me with black eyes. Was I intimidated? Yes. Did I want to run screaming with my tail tucked between my legs? Yes. Was I seriously fucking jealous of her bad-ass body? Hell yes.

As quickly as I could register all of this, here expression changed when she saw who I was. Or rather, whom I looked like. "Alphonse," she asked, her face smoothing out into one of deceptively pretty innocence.

"Not quite," I groaned from my seat on the ground. She crouched in front of me and stared into my eyes intimidatingly. I froze nervously and let her inspect me. Eventually, she let out a heavy sigh and helped me to my feet. "I can already tell that this is going to be a long story, so come on in. It's getting dark." She didn't know the half of it, I grinned ruefully to myself as I followed her inside.

She seated me at a table in her quaint little cottage ("Sit," she commanded. "Yes ma'am!" respectfully), and served me some tea. And so I told her everything. Well, not _everything,_ everything. I left out most of the sob story that was my life and focused just on the events from the moment I woke till now. The whole time I spoke, I gazed into my teacup, and she did not interrupt me once.

"So," she said calmly once I had finished speaking, "those boys took everything I taught them only to commit the ultimate taboo, not only destroying their lives and disgracing my teachings, but ripping an innocent from another world against his will."

"Yup." Oops. I probably shouldn't be so flippant about this. Silence reined in stillness for a moment, and I could almost imagine a fuse sparking at the top of Izumi's head. I didn't have to wait for long.

"Aaaaaaaagh!" she screamed in fury. In a feat of inhuman strength she lifted the heavy white table that we were sitting at and threw it out the window.

"…" I sat with my eyes wide open in shock, cold teacup in my hand, at the suddenly much more empty space in front of me. Jerkily I looked up at Izumi.

She stood with her arms akimbo, staring out the now much bigger window and huffing like a bull. Eventually she seemed to calm down a bit and pinched the bridge of her nose, furrowing her eyes and gritting her teeth. "So why are you here?" She gritted out.

I snapped my mouth closed and answered immediately. "Ed is going to join the State Alchemists–Gah!" The volatile woman had punched through the wall this time.

"So they think by joining the State they will be able to go back to normal! That way only lies the path of blood and destruction."

Intimidated, and a bit awed by her strength and fury, I didn't answer. That is until she turned her menacing eyes on me. "So that's what they are doing, but you didn't answer my question: Why are you here?"

Gulping and gathering my nerve, I stood. Bowing in a traditional Kung Fu sign of respect, my hands before me with my right fist touching my left palm, I put all of my conviction in my voice. "Master Izumi, please teach me how to fight!"

"No!" The next thing to fly out the window…was me.

 _Yay, the story is finally progressing! Don't worry, our boys will be reunited soon, but first Alex has to become bad-ass! Next Chapter: Alex gets his ass handed to him a lot! I hope I got Izumi right..._

 _Review Please!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Yay, action!_

She just threw me out of the window. I repeat: she picked me up (I had to be at least one hundred pounds!) and through me through her recently destroyed window. I could have sworn I heard the broken glass and sharp wood fragments whistle as I passed through them. But that wasn't what I should be worried about, cause here comes the ground!

"Gah!" Instinctively, I crossed my arms over my chest and slammed them to the ground just as my body hit, diffusing as much force as I could, and then quickly curled into a back role when that wasn't enough. I tumbled twice before completely losing control and skidding the last couple yards.

When I finally came to rest, I shakily sat up from my sprawl and found that I had been thrown at least fifteen yards from the front of the house. Was everyone in this world a superhuman freak!? If I hadn't broken my fall, that crazy bitch could have killed me!

Izumi wasn't done with me yet. "AAAAAAAAGH!" I screamed in a pitiful voice as, almost faster than I could believe was possible, Izumi jumped through her window and flipped over, a kick coming down towards my unsuspecting head like an axe. In an insane spike of adrenaline, I rolled out of the way, only to witness her strike leave a sizable dent where my head had been.

I back peddled desperately, but not fast enough. Izumi grabbed my head by my hair and slammed me into the nearby tree, effectively pinning me. "What makes you think I want to train another kid Alchemist, just so they can go disgrace my teachings by joining the military?!" She growled in my ear. Unable to respond, my face pressed painfully into the bark of the tree, I did the only thing I could think of. I quickly hooked my leg around her leading one and slammed my elbow back. Surprised, Izumi dodged my elbow but stumbled as her foot was trapped by my weight. Her stumble was all I needed. With one eye closed because of the blood streaming down from a cut on my brow, I did a move instinctively that I had practiced a thousand times in my other life, although never in a real fight. I used the tree as leverage and launched forward, my right palm facing downward and my thumb extended, and went straight for her throat.

Izumi saw me coming a mile away. With her center of gravity going backward, she slammed her foot to the ground and twisted her torso. My arm went right over her head and her fist gouged into my midsection and slammed me on my back in the dirt. I laid gasping in pain, and waited for my breath and my eye site to return. I struggled to move quickly, fearing another blow. Never in my decade of training had I experienced a battle so intense and _real_. This was no sparring match, Izumi really seemed out to kill me! This was why Alphonse was so skilled. Izumi did not hold back. She was no instructor trying to make money and afraid of lawsuits. With her, you either learned or you died.

When I finally regained my senses she was standing over me with her arms crossed and a fierce expression on her face. Her long body cast a shadow over me and the sun haloed behind her head. She looked like some kind of righteous avenging angel, and I was the poor sinning fool that was going to be smited.

"If this is the result of my training, the absolute _butchery_ of my teachings, then I will never train another Alchemist again. You're out of luck kid. Find your easy fix elsewhere." With that she turned her back on me and walked away.

What….No! I grabbed onto her black pant leg and she kicked out. Senses regained, I rolled out of the way and struggled to my feet. "Wait! You don't understand!"

"Like Hell I don't!" She whipped around again and started to punch me. Left, right, jab, hook. I desperately windmilled my arms and diverted them, but even glancing blows made my bones vibrate painfully, as if I was being hit with sledgehammers. "You are just going to take my teachings and mess with the natural order of the world. I won't have it!" With that she delivered a powerful hook to my head. I just barely had time to throw my arm up over my face before she sent me sprawling again.

"Please!" I gasped, my ears ringing and my head spinning, "I don't want to learn Alchemy!" Izumi paused and I desperately started babbling. "Alphonse is so strong, I need to get my body back, I can't keep up if I'm weak! I need to get back, please teach me to fight!" When she just stared at me stoically, I felt tears brim in my eyes. I slammed my fist into the ground in defeat. "Please," I whispered, "I just want to get back to my baby…"

Izumi's breath hitched. She crouched before me and gripped my shoulders, looking deeply into my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I was pregnant," I whispered. Izumi froze. She looked stricken. "I was five months pregnant when I was taken from my body. I don't know if it's still alive out there somewhere, or if I perished. Please, Master Izumi, _please_ help me get home. If there is any chance my baby somehow survived, I have to take it."

Izumi stood abruptly and then turned away. I began to start begging again when she finally spoke. "I do not know any traditional form of Martial Arts," she said.

"I don't need you to," I answered immediately, hope surging forwards. I already had enough years of traditional training under my belt. What I needed was to learn to fight for real, and to learn the limits of this new world and my new body.

"What makes you think I can teach you anything? You are already skilled."

"You beat me," I retorted. "I'm sure you could tell. I have never been in a real fight. If you hadn't been holding back," and it hurt me to say this, because of course she had, "you would have easily killed me. I need to get stronger. If I am going to be able to keep up with those insanely strong kids, I need to be better."

Silence fell between us. My heart pounded in my throat and I was afraid I would have a seizure before she would give her answer. Abruptly she spoke. "What would you have named your baby?"

I bit my lip and wondered what this had to do with anything, but it seemed vitally important to Izumi that I answer. "I didn't know at the time what gender it would be…" I started, "but the child I had been dreaming of for months had been a beautiful little girl. She would have had her daddy's black hair and her grandfather's green eyes. She would have had my mother's long nose and my small hands. I would have named her Alyssa."

Slowly Izumi turned back around directed her black eyes to where I was still kneeling on the ground. "I won't train you."

My stomach plummeted through my body and into the earth. She wouldn't…No! Just as quickly anger rose within me like the sick acid of nausea, and I opened my mouth to scream 'why!'

Before I could say anything, Izumi lifted her hand in a placating gesture. "I will not train you, because I am not qualified. My entire style is based off fighting with Alchemy, and you are not an Alchemist. You are already skilled and the only thing I could do for you is beat you to a pulp over and over again. What you need is to bring the skills you already have to the next level. I can't teach you, but I can introduce you to someone who can."

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

The Plaid Skirt was a small pub on the edge of town. It used to be a place where young women would serve drinks to a loyal customer base. It used to be a very successful business where most everyone would visit every Friday and Saturday and enjoy drinks long into the night. That is, until the Roaring Bull opened across town. Where The Plaid Skirt was homey and warm, the Roaring Bull was lively and exciting. Where the small pub was traditionally built with wood slats and old beer signs, the Roaring Bull was a marvel of modern architecture. And so, as was the nature of such things, it was a Saturday night, and the only occupant of the bar with a pathetically blinking open sign was the bartender, snoring away behind the counter.

That is, until the door slammed open with an ear splitting crack. "Orkan!"

Orkan the bartender snorted in alarm and snapped to attention. Oh no. He knew that voice. That dreaded voice that always brought him trouble every time it graced his ears. He slowly looked up at the door and sure enough there was–

"I-Izumi! What a pleasant surprise," the middle aged man stammered, even as he reached under the bar to grip his baston. He knew better than to be unarmed around this unpredictable woman. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the crap, Orkan, and pour me a drink." Izumi stalked into his bar like the tempest she was, and sat heavily on a barstool. A kid walked in behind her and Orkan observed him curiously as he made Izumi her usual. The kid was short, probably around age ten, with blonde hair and striking green eyes. There was a large abrasion over his eye and he moved gingerly, as if someone had beaten the hell out of him. Orkan shifted his attention back to Izumi as he slammed her drink in front of her. Izumi threw it back in two big gulps.

"Alright, out with it," Orkan stroked his short gray beard and glared with bright blue eyes.

"Whatever do you mean," Izumi retorted innocently.

Orkan snorted in disbelief. "The only reason you ever come out here is if you want something, and we both know it. So out with it."

Izumi sighed dramatically, "Oh, Orkan, I'm hurt. Can't you just trust that I came out here to visit an old friend?" Orkan lifted a brow and did not react to her theatrics. Izumi's face became serious. "Oh, alright. I need you to train someone."

"The kid?" Orkan's eyes flickered to the only other occupant in the room and gave him a fierce glare. The boy did not look away.

"Yes," Izumi said, "He's already trained in several Martial Arts."

"Is he any good?"

"I tested him myself." Orkan hummed to himself. If Izumi said the kid was good, then he believed her. But it had been several years since the old man had taken on a student, and he didn't feel all that bothered to take on another one. Still…

"What's in it for me?" He may have been an old, decrepit bastard, but he was an opportunistic one.

Izumi grinned, her canines showing menacingly. She clapped her hands and slammed them to the floor. Instantly, in a great flash of blue light, the old wooden shingling became beautiful polished wood, the old bar signs became good as new, and the old, damaged furniture transformed into comfortable modern furnishings.

Orkan dropped the glass he had been washing with a rag and it shattered on the newly polished floors. His mouth opened in shock. He gulped. _Damned Alchemists always flaunting their unnatural powers everywhere just to get what they wanted!_

"Boy," Orkan barked. The kid jumped to attention from his own gaping at the incredible transmutation. "Get your shit to the bedroom upstairs. We start at dawn."

 _Ha! Weren't expecting that were you? From what I can tell of the brief episodes of the Elric's training, Izumi's method of Martial Arts training was to have the boys come at her a bunch of times until they finally got past her defenses. Now, she is a very formidable opponent, and it worked really well for Ed and Al as beginners, but she was also training them to fight with Alchemy at the same time. I just don't see her having the battle tactics experience to teach someone who has no interest in Alchemy and would not have it as a backup. So off Alex goes to a hand-to-hand battle tactics expert!_

 _Yes, Master Orkan (I chose a German name since Amestris is based off Germany. It means 'hurricane' and I got it off a 'Cool German Names for Pets' website! Hehe.) is another OC. Sorry, but I needed him! No worries you'll get to like him._

 _For those of you that are interested, all of the fighting techniques I mentioned are real! The rear chokehold escape and the open-hand punch to the throat are Tae Kwon Do techniques and the way Alex broke his fall, Izumi's kick, and the windmill/sticky-hand technique Alex used to divert Izumi's punches are from Kung Fu. And a baston is a wooden stick used as a weapon._

 _Thanks everyone for sending your love! Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Calmly, I wiped a glass behind the tall wooden counter, enjoying the momentary calm of the hours before the bar opened. Master Orkan was still passed out upstairs, sleeping off the drink he had consumed the night before while entertaining customers, no doubt. It was our day off though, so I let him sleep.

The popularity of the Plaid Skirt had skyrocketed after the transmutation Izumi had performed as payment for my training. It also helped that the owner of the Roaring Bull had mysteriously closed down his bar after he decided that he should open a mine on the outskirts of town, where precious minerals had (conveniently) been found. Izumi swears up and down that it was just a very fortunate coincidence, but both Master Orkan and I knew better.

My first impression of Master Orkan was not good to say the least. The old man was irascible and rude, always yelling and saying harsh words. On my first day of training, after being unceremoniously dumped in a spare bedroom the size of a closet, Orkan grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me out of bed to the large field behind the bar. There he immediately commenced to 'test' me.

In other words, he beat the shit out of me.

The deceptively thin and wiry man was a blur of movement that I could barely follow with my eyes, let alone react to. No matter how I dodged, he had another hit coming that I couldn't avoid. No matter how I tried to hit him, he always had a counter. All the while, he spit foul insults and degrading words at my face, trying to make me angry. He did.

"Come on you little twerp, you call that a dodge?"

"Get up, ass-wipe, that was barely a love tap!"

"You're going to have to do better than that you half-pint weakling!"

Frustrated that I couldn't touch the guy, and fed-up with his insults, I lost it. "Shut up!" I screamed. His smug face was the last thing I knew for a long while.

I woke up the next day. The old jackass had knocked me out and dragged my sorry butt back to the bar. When I finally came to, he was sitting over me, smoking a pipe. I sent him my fiercest glare and he snorted in amusement. He reached down and I flinched. He ruffled my hair.

"You've got good reflexes, but you move like a drunkard, and you try to reach farther than your body is capable of."

I froze. Had he figured it out? Izumi had warned me that if I went around telling people what happened to me, I was likely to get shipped off to the nearest lab and dissected. His next words put me at ease.

"I am going to pound that out of you, boy. If you actually knew your body's limits you wouldn't have done as badly as you did." He looked away from me, turning his fierce eyes to the wall. "But you did better than most idiots I've had to train." This was said with the air of a man who did not give compliments easily or often, but when he did, it meant something. I gaped at him and he avoided my eyes uncomfortably.

After seeming to shake it off, Orkan pulled me roughly to my feet and flashed me a menacing grin. "Real training starts now."

The next few weeks were a blur of pain and degradation for me as Orkan remade me from scratch. Just as he promised, he helped me learn the limits of my body. And what a body it was.

Alphonse was small, but surprisingly durable. I don't know if it was because he had endured rough intensive training, this was the result of being torn apart and remade or if the people in this strange reality were just stronger than in mine, but the kid could take a beating. Attacks that would have taken me out of the fight before I could now shake off with only some bruising as a result. Also, I had noticed this before, but it still amazed me how quickly I could move and how far I could jump. It was like living under water for your entire life and then suddenly coming to live on the surface. Orkan helped me adjust to my new strength and I gained abilities I would never have dreamed of in my other life.

A routine was established. Before sunrise I would wake and do an hour of conditioning before meeting Master Orkan in the training field behind the bar. There we would spar, and he would teach me how to react to every scenario imaginable. He never went easy on me, and I never complained. This was what I asked for after all. At noon we would stop and take a bath and a short nap before preparing the Plaid Skirt for business for the night. From three in the afternoon till one in the morning, I waited tables and made drinks at the bar (Master Orkan never let me drink though, the jerk). In the morning it would start all over again.

That old man really knew his stuff, I'd give him that much. He trained me in everything from weapons to hand-to-hand, single to multiple opponents, armed and unarmed opponents, hostage situations, and even how to fight wild animals. He even went so far as to drill me on situations where I was a commanding officer and responsible for subordinates in combat scenarios. The training was intense, both in body and in mind, and if I hadn't been passionate about my cause I might have given up.

I wondered how an old man like him could possibly have this much knowledge about fighting. He must have been a great commander in his youth and possibly a part of the military. One night, I asked him. "Kid," he said in his gruff manner, "the day I tell you my life's story is the day you tell me the reason you want to fight so bad." I didn't ask again.

There was one thing Master Orkan could not help me with, and that was fighting against an Alchemist. Oh, he could describe how to dodge spikes made out of concrete, or how to get out of a trap an Alchemist had set, but there was only one way to learn how to fight an Alchemist: by fighting and Alchemist.

Once a month, I would travel to Izumi's homey little cottage. I would stay for dinner and we would exchange pleasantries. I would say hello to her giant bear of a husband and they would put me in the spare bedroom of the second floor. Then I would challenge her to a duel.

Izumi's training was in some ways just as intense as Master Orkan's. True to her word, she did not teach me how to use Alchemy, only taught me enough to be able to combat it. And then she would attack.

A year passed in this manner, and I began to change. I grew taller, reaching five foot two inches. The constant training burned off any baby fat my body might have had left, although my face still had the sweet quality of a young boy. My voice hadn't started cracking yet, and I cringed to think that in as soon as a year I would have to go through puberty for a second time. At least this time around I wouldn't have to deal with certain womanly problems. Yay me.

"Watcha thinking about," a sweet voice asked from the other side of the bar, startling me out of my musings, and I realized I had been washing the same glass for a good half hour. Tanya, a girl a little older than me leaned over the bar with her arms folded under her considerable bust. She was one of the girls who worked as waitresses at the Plaid Skirt, and who had been showing an uncomfortable interest in me.

"It's nothing," I said a little uncomfortably. I ran my fingers through the chin length bangs that fell beside my face. The rest of my hair was pulled back into a ponytail to combat the heat of the afternoon.

She tilted her head cutely and pressed her chest just a little farther forward, no doubt trying to appeal to me. I was embarrassed to say that I had something of a…female fan club. Over the previous year I had become used to being thought of and treated as a boy, and had even started thinking of myself as male, but I didn't think I would ever really get used to having women throw themselves at me. I guess in a way, I couldn't blame them. I was pretty attractive in a boyish kind of way, and if I had seen Alphonse when I was a young girl, I would have easily fallen for him. Maybe some day I would fully accept being male, but for now, the attention I was getting was still unsettling.

Orkan chose that moment to show his face, stumbling down the stairs grumbling to himself. I sighed in relief as Tanya moved away and tried to look busy. No one wanted to talk to Orkan right after he woke up. He wandered over to the bar and sat at a stool, seemingly without opening his eyes. Wordlessly I handed over what I always fixed for him when he came down the stairs hung over: a shot of whiskey, a tall glass of water, and a peppermint. He threw back the whiskey, and without missing a beat downed the water as well. Once the mint was firmly between his teeth, he finally squinted open his eyes to regard me.

"What are you looking at, kid," he said irritably.

"Nothing, old man," I retorted back as always.

He grunted noncommittally at our normal banter and glanced over his shoulder at Tanya, who was currently bending over a table she was washing and exposing more of her legs under her skirt than was strictly necessary. I whacked him in the face with a towel.

"That wasn't very nice," he whined in his growly voice. Over the past few months, as he gained more respect for me, he had become more candid in my presence; less like an instructor and more like a crazy uncle.

"Eyes over here, ass," I said with exasperated affection.

"Come on," he ribbed, miming poking me in the side with his elbow. "It's not for me that she's bending over like that. Aren't you the least bit affected? What kind of man are you?"

"You know I'm not interested in dating anyone right now. I have to–"

"Yeah, yeah, you have to get stronger blah, blah, blah," he interrupted me, flapping his hand absurdly and rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'm not talking about _dating_ , just a little bit of _fun_."

I held up my hand to stop him and pinched my nose, as if trying to soothe a headache. "Don't even go there you old pervert. We're just kids." Seriously, who tells a twelve-year-old boy to go bone some girl for fun! If I had been a girl, there was no way he would be talking to me like this. Besides that, I didn't even want to think about doing _anything_ of that nature in this borrowed body.

He laughed his big booming laugh and ruffled my hair, causing me to smack his hand away. "I'm just teasing. Loosen up a little, kid, you are way too serious all the time."

The phone started ringing. I dodged his hand as he tried to ruffle my hair again and answered it. "Plaid Skirt, this is Elric." I had long gotten over the fact that the name of this bar made it sound like I was answering a sex hotline.

"Alex! It's me, Alphonse," a boy's voice answered.

"Al, long time no speak," I said, smiling widely. It had been at least six months since we had spoken last. It was good to hear his voice again.

"Sorry," Al said, sounding contrite. That boy was just too sweet for his own good. "Brother and I have been training like crazy."

"Same here," I said easily. I hadn't called either after all. "So what's the occasion, oh brother mine," I teased.

"He's ready."

Instantly, my smile dropped. "Seriously? It's only been a year." This was huge.

"Yeah," Al continued. "You know Brother. Once he get's that determined look on his face the world bends over backward to accommodate him."

"Yeah," I said, though I really didn't know Edward all that well yet. Still, excitement rose within me. This was way faster than I had anticipated. It was finally time to move forward. We exchanged a few more pleasantries and promised to see each other soon and I hung up the phone.

I hung my head in thought. Edward was finally ready to move forward with our plan, but was I? I had only trained for a year, but I had improved exponentially in that time. Was I really strong enough to move on?

There was only one way to find out. "Hey, old man." He turned slowly and pretended like he had not been listening to my whole conversation. I pinned him with a fierce look and a devious smile. "Gear up and meet me out back." One way or another, I was heading back to Resembool.

 _Hi guys! Alex grew up a little! Just in case there is any confusion, Alex still constantly thinks of getting home. That's his motivation after all. I'm just not going to mention it every chapter, so please just take it for granted that it is always in the back of his mind. For now, he accepts the situation he is in and tries to acclimate as best he can._

 _Awww, Alex found a mentor! Everyone has to love having a perverted old uncle (I have three). Next Chapter: our boys finally reunite. Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Resembool is just as beautiful as I remember_ , I thought as I walked down the wandering dirt road. Slowly I passed by the quaint little houses of this spread out village, my belt clanking slightly under my jacket.

After our last fight, when both of us lay on our backs in defeat, Master Orkan had let out a booming laugh. "I must be getting old, to be beaten by some punk kid."

"A punk kid you trained," I gasped, still out of breath from the intense fight. "Besides, I didn't win, are you going senile or something?" It was true. After an hour of fighting, Orkan finally ended it with a 'fatal' blow before collapsing beside me on the grass.

"What was that, brat!"

"You heard me, you old jackass!" I smacked him weakly on the stomach with the back of my hand. It bounced off. He smacked me back and I grunted.

For a while, nothing was heard but the chirp of cicadas, the rustling of the grass, and the sound of us regaining our breath.

"You're ready." Startled, I turned my head to regard him. He was staring up at the sky, his old face more relaxed than I had ever seen it.

"But I lost."

He shook his head. "You didn't. I'm not sure when it started, but I began to notice something." He turned his head to look at me with his fierce blue eyes. With the horizon behind him, it was as if he had pulled the color down straight from the heavens. "You never go for the kill."

Immediately, I began to protest, but my words stopped in my throat. I thought back to our fight. Flashing before my eyes were all the times there had been an opening to end it, but I had held back because there was a slight chance that if he hadn't dodged in just the right way, or if he hadn't seen it coming, I could have killed him. So I…

"You only attack to disable," he continued. He sat up with a grunt and looked down on me. "Admirable to be sure, but dangerous. If I had been a real opponent, if I had really been trying to end you, you wouldn't have stood a chance. The world is dangerous, and sometimes the only way to survive is to strike first and strike hard. If someone is trying to kill you or someone you are trying to protect and there is an opening to end it, take it. You," he poked me in the chest, "are the most important person on the planet. Because the only way to protect others is to protect yourself."

I gaped at him. That was the most profound thing I had ever heard the old man say. "You look constipated when you talk so serious, old man," I said, breaking the strange tension that had settled around us.

"What was that punk!"

"You heard me!" He pulled me into a headlock and ruffled my hair till I surrendered.

As a parting gift, Master Orkan had given me his favorite weapons, which were now bouncing at the small of my back where I had secured them. "See you again soon, kid," he had said with a smirk. I hoped I would.

Izumi had not been there when I stopped by her place to say goodbye, so I left a note underneath her door, thanking her for all she had done for me. It was time to move on, so I boarded the next train to Resembool and didn't look back.

I smiled as I finally saw the top of Pinako's house peaking over the hill. About time! I had forgotten what a long walk it was from the residence to the station. As I got closer, a welcome sight greeted me.

Winry and Alphonse were sitting in front of the house in the grass. As soon as I came into view, Al jumped up in excitement and began waving. Winry mirrored his movements beside him, and I was struck again by his size. Man, I had forgotten just how large that kid was! I waved back.

Winry shouted at the house and out walked, yes _walked_ , none other than Edward. He was wearing short blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Just like me, it looked like he had changed in this past year, though I couldn't make out much from where I was walking. He had grown out his blond locks similarly to mine and he leaned cockily against the railing of the porch. He looked whole again.

Just then, a big hulking suit of metal blocked my vision. Al and Winry had jogged up to greet me. "Alex," Winry greeted me exuberantly. She immediately pulled me into a hug and I grunted at her enthusiasm. "Hi Winry," I huffed, wrapping my arms around her slim shoulders. She had changed as well, standing just a little shorter than I was and even prettier than I last saw her. I looked up at Al, who was standing just a few feet away, keeping a careful distance.

"Hi Al," I said with a huge grin, "It's great to see you!"

"Yeah," Al returned happily. If he had a face, I'm sure he would have been smiling. "Wow Alex, you look great!"

"Thanks," I said. I had finally gotten my hair the way I wanted it. My bangs were parted down slightly to the left, so that the right side partially fell in my eyes. The rest of my hair was bound in a low ponytail, which I habitually pulled over my left shoulder. This was how I had always worn it in my other life, and I was relieved to find that it wasn't abnormal for men to grow their hair out in this world. I knew it wasn't only my hair he was talking about, though.

I carried myself differently than when we last saw each other. I was more confident in my stride and I held my shoulders straight, no longer so intensely burdened with my grief and anger now that I had had a little time to deal with it. I also found a men's style of clothing that I liked. I wore a pair of dark flexible pants under a loose fitting black shirt that wouldn't restrict my movements. Over that I wore a collard green jacket my master had given me when I finished training under him. The back was emblazoned with his crest; an emerald green circle surrounded by calligraphic brush strokes that pin-wheeled around it like the eye of a hurricane.

"You too," I said, and I meant it. Al seemed…happier than I last saw him. His armor was polished till it glowed and he also wore the crest of Izumi, painted in red, on his shoulder; a snake twining around a cross with wings and crown hovering above it. He was finally taking care of his new body and I took that as a sign that he had healed a bit as well.

He lifted his hand to the back of his head and laughed self-consciously. "Heh, yeah,"

"Come on," Winry finally said, pulling me toward the house.

"Ok, ok," I laughed, stumbling along behind her. As we got closer, I could make out more details of Edward, who was still leaning against the porch rail waiting for us. I got my first eyeful of how good he really looked. His eyes were brighter and clearer than I ever remembered seeing them and his tanned face glowed with health. He gave me an arrogant smirk. For the first time, I noticed just how good-looking he was. His features, which were no longer pulled down by the weight of his grief, were a bit manlier than mine and I could already tell that when he grew up he was going to be a great beauty. _Maybe_ , I thought optimistically, _he can distract the ladies from me!_ I giggled a little at the thought. My eyes shifted down and I inspected his new automail limbs.

"Wow," I whistled, impressed. The steel limbs looked just like his flesh ones, only they glowed gunmetal grey in the bright sunlight. I was astounded at just how realistic they looked. His foot even had little toes!

"Alex," he greeted when we stopped a few yards away. His voice was just as attractive as I remembered it, breathy and low.

"Edward," I greeted back. "You look great. How are those new limbs treating you?"

"See for yourself!" With that the boy planted his automail hand on the railing of the porch and lifted his body over, his prosthetic leg glinting in the sunlight. He landed with perfect balance with a thump and stood up straight, gracing me with a toothy grin. He opened his arms as if to say 'what do you think'. I grinned back.

Suddenly his expression froze, and he really looked at me. He stalked forward till he stood directly in front of me, mouth dropping open in horror.

I tilted my head. _What's his problem?_

"How…" he started in a small voice. Then he dramatically pointed at me, arm flailing up and down. "How are you taller than me!" He shouted loudly, and I had to wait a second for my ears to stop ringing. Winry and Al were standing off to the side, both covering their mouths. Winry looked like she was holding back a laugh.

I furrowed my brow in confusion, and then it hit me. Edward was _older_ than me, and I was about three inches taller. The kid looked flabbergasted, his mouth hanging open comically.

I slow smile crept up on my face. "Why Ed," I said evilly, "you look smaller than when I last saw you."

The explosion was immediate and destructive. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL MY LITTLE BROTHER CAN PICK ME UP WITH ONE HAND THROW ME ON THE ROOF?!"

Ed lunged at me, and I ran.

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

Edward crouched down in the clearing just a few yards in front of me. I mirrored his position, one knee planted in the grass. Al stood just a ways off in between us, his arms crossed stoically. Neither one of us moved, both waiting for the other to twitch.

Ed moved first. He grit his teeth and lunged, shattering into motion. He came at me with a right punch. I easily dodged and swung my leg around, aiming for his head, only to divert it at the last moment when he tried to block with his steel arm. That definitely wouldn't feel good. We jumped apart and immediately came back together, exchanging a series of furious blows. I winced every time my flesh came into contact with his hard appendages and was careful to divert as much force away from my body as I could. Ed swung a vicious uppercut and I dove backwards, executing a one handed backflip as it whistled inches past my nose.

We paused for a second, reevaluating each other. This kid is good, I thought, at least as good as Alphonse. I was going to have to step it up a notch. Ed evidently felt the same, because he jumped back and knelt to the ground, his arms moving in a blur.

"Oh no you don't," I exclaimed, surging forwards. If he thought I was going to let him complete a transmutation circle, he was very much mistaken! He jerked back as my heel slammed into his unfinished circle and jumped away again. I didn't let him go far. "You're going to have to be faster than that, twerp," I shouted, habitually falling into yelling insults while I battled. It was a habit I had picked up from both Orkan and Izumi. I lunged forward and slipped my arm underneath his. I heaved and threw him as hard as I could over my shoulder.

He gave a startled cry but managed to land on his feet before I could slam my fist into the ground where he had been. "Don't call me twerp," he yelled, touching his flesh hand to the back of his automail arm. In a flash of light, the metal appendage transformed into a solid club.

I cursed. The boy had drawn a transmutation circle on his arm before we started! Swiftly, I pulled out my weapons from the back of my belt and brought them forward to block just before he could hit me with his transformed arm. His club slammed into my crossed weapons. He jumped back to reassess the new threat.

I brought my weapons into a defensive position and waited for another attack. In my hands were two metal tonfa. They were straight poles a little longer than my forearms with handles sticking out perpendicularly. They were black at first glance, but flashed an acid green when turned in the sunlight.

"You going to fight me with chopsticks now," Edward taunted. I smirked. We were just about to launch back into battle when there was a distressed scream.

We both froze and looked over to see Winry, her face open in horror and her shaking fist clenched around a large wrench. "What have you done to my automail!"

With growing trepidation, Edward immediately hid his transformed arm behind his back and touched the transmutation circle. It changed back in a flash of light. "Nothing!" He shouted frantically, waving his perfectly formed hands in a placating gesture.

"Nothing my foot! I saw what you did! Get back here!" Winry started chasing the contrite and terrified blond around the yard, shaking her wrench in the air.

With a stunned chuckle, I stowed my tonfa back in their sheath at the small of my back and walked over to Alphonse.

"Impressive," he said, not at all fazed by the fight going on in the yard.

"You guys too," I said, "I really don't know which of us would have won that fight."

Al shook his head, the armor clanking slightly. "No, you are definitely better. I could tell Ed was getting nervous."

"Oh," I said, blushing lightly, not expecting the compliment. I wasn't too sure about that though. Ed was like a force of nature.

"So when are we leaving?" I asked. As much as I enjoyed hanging around and sparring, I was eager to start our journey.

"Tomorrow."

 _Yay reunion! And action! Things are finally picking up. What do you guys think?_

 _I had originally planned for Alex to carry tonfa, since they are easy to conceal under a jacket and it's also my favorite weapon. For those of you who have never seen this weapon: **Tonfa** , also known as tong fa or tuifa, is a traditional Okinawan weapon from which the modern side-handled police baton is derived. Its from the kobudo discipline which is the Okinawan art of fighting with weapons made or taken from everyday objects. The tonfa is a wooden rice husking tool used as a weapon and has a handle similar to a police baton. If you are interested in seeing how to fight with them, look up 'how to fight with tonfa' and you will find some pretty great videos on the matter._

 _Shout out to Master Diaz and Sifu Tony, who both taught me everything I know! Orkan's words were almost a direct quote of something Master Diaz preaches often._

 _This story is gaining momentum! Next Chapter: Our boys have a run-in with some nasty people. See you next time!_


	9. Chapter 9

"Hm." I hummed to myself, tapping my chin with one hand. Ed, Al and I were currently waiting at the station, waiting for the next train to Central. I was getting us some food with Al while Ed had excused himself to make a phone call.

We were standing at a booth that was emitting a fabulous smell. I had to hand it to this opportunistic old lady, she could really make a bread roll. Which was a good thing, because she was the only booth in the vicinity. I had chosen two types of meat filled rolls but I was struggling to choose a third. They were all just so tempting!

"Is it really that hard to decide?" Al asked.

I felt passion rise within me and I threw my hands in the air dramatically. "Of course it matters! They all smell so delicious, and we may never have time again to come sample this wonderful woman's fabulous cooking," I shouted with a theatrical bow to the old woman. Just like I hoped, the old gal blushed and gave a giggle. "Such a charmer," she simpered.

Al laughed beside me. "Come on, Alex, get your muffins before you give the poor lady a heart attack."

"It's not my fault you're so beautiful, little brother," I said, bending over and selecting my last choice. Al spluttered and made a playful swipe at my head, which I dodged without even looking up.

"Al," Edward shouted across the way. His voice was a bit drowned out by the sound of the train leaving behind us. "Wrap it up guys, we need to get on that train!"

"Now?" Al asked in disbelief, eying the train that was already ten feet gone. "Change of plans!" Ed shouted back at us as he took off running.

We made it, but it was a close thing. A few minutes later found us sitting on hard benches in the passenger car. Ed was leaning against the window with a bun stuffed in his face on one bench, while Al and I sat on the other.

"What's so special about this train anyway," I asked sullenly. I felt really bad when I had to throw money at the poor stand operator before taking off. I didn't even know if it was enough!

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Heck if I know," he mumbled through a mouthful of bun. "I can't get a read on this Mustang guy, it's like he's trying to be difficult."

I rolled my eyes and bit into my own bun. It melted in my mouth. "Mmmmm," I groaned in delight. It tasted somewhere between a donut and a barbeque sandwich. That old woman really knew her stuff. Al chuckled at my comical expression.

"Must be really good," he said.

I turned my head to look up at him. Even sitting down he was a foot taller than me. "The greatest," I said with a big grin.

"You have sauce on your face."

I slapped my hand over my mouth in embarrassment. Al huffed in amusement.

"Do you want a taste," I asked, a bit tentatively. We had discovered after I came back that If Al avoided direct contact with my skin he could get the gist of what I was experiencing without delving too deep into my emotions.

Izumi had put some of my fears to rest about the empathy link. She didn't know much about my situation, but she did know a thing or two about soul seals. She told me that as long as Al's soul was attached to the seal, he could not push mine out of this body. It acted as an anchor, and the only way to separate him from the armor is to destroy the seal. That, at least, solved one of the problems. I wasn't going anywhere just because he touched me.

Other issues still remained to be resolved, however. Al and I still needed to have an in-depth discussion about how he felt about all of this. Did it hurt him emotionally every time we touched because he only got a 'taste' of what it was like to have a body, or was it his only balm and comfort, the only thing that made his existence bearable?

I had to consider my feelings about it as well. I felt…guilty. It was irrational, I knew, because it was not my fault. I'm sure if I said it out loud, Al would say the same. Still, it was there like a constant ache in my chest. I wanted to help, and if enduring a little emotional strain was all it took, then I would.

"Is that all right?" he asked, just as hesitantly.

I smiled gently. "Of course!" I pulled up my hood and carefully leaned against him, taking a big bite of my bun. Vaguely, I felt his emotions, but it was like trying to see something in a rainstorm, and it was far from unbearable. Delight filtered through our link from both of us as I finished my food.

Edward watched out of the corner of his eye from where he sat across from us, his face inscrutable, but when I looked up at him, he looked away.

My relationship with Edward was…tentative at best. I knew he still blamed himself for what he had done to all of us, and in some ways, so did I. In my eyes, it _was_ his fault. But my year away had done me a world of good. Just as all injuries, time had turned my mortal wounds into thick, ropy scars, and I was able to see things from a different perspective than just my own. They were just children. The desperation to regain their mother, and the sinful books they had had access to, and being too smart for their own good: all of it compounded into one hell of a freak disaster. I wasn't blind. I could see that these were good kids who just wanted to see their mother smile again. And like children, they ignored the warnings of experienced adults just because they were in the way of something they wanted, and got hurt.

I was no longer angry with him. I could see that he was trying to make it right, and I respected him for it. We wouldn't be friends right away, and we may never quite be brothers, but in the years ahead, (and in my heart I knew it would be a long time) we could work together without too much animosity.

Still, just because I had resolved my feelings didn't mean Ed did. Unlike Al, he wasn't so trusting and accepting of my presence. He still treated me like an outsider, and his walls were a bit difficult to get through. I supposed I could only keep trying and that eventually time would bring them down.

Ed looked away and continued to chew his food.

"Ah," Al looked up and noticed a small face peeking over the seat behind Edward. A small child looked curiously at Al, but ducked behind the seat once she saw he noticed her. Alphonse slumped a bit. "Brother, am I scary?"

"Don't be silly Al," Ed scoffed with a joking smile, "you're kindness in a can."

The child tried to whisper, but we could clearly hear her speaking to her mother, who attempted to shush her. "Mama, he's strange."

A spike of depression came through our link, and I pulled away slightly. Al hung his arms in front of him and made a pitiful noise. Ed and I exchanged a look and he stood and turned around, intending to shush the child when he froze. Slowly, he sank back down to the seat.

"Geese, everyone's staring at us. Who ordered the ticket to the normalcy express?"

"Really?" I asked, peaking around the booth. Sure enough, we were receiving some pretty intense looks. I sat back, unsettled. Al sighed and I gave him a comforting pat. The girl peaked back over the booth and gave a tentative wave.

"There, see," Ed encouraged, "she's not afraid of you. She likes you! Right?" He turned to the girl and gave a charming grin. She nodded with a cute giggle. Al perked up and waved back, his arm clanking slightly.

A couple hours passed and Ed had slowly sunk down into the seat, taking a nap. I was slightly jealous of his ability to sleep anywhere, since Al had taken out a book and I was currently staring bored out the window. I probably would have sat like that all the way to Central, save for what happened next.

"Hey, there is a kid with a suit of armor. He's not that short." I pulled my eyes from the window to see a tall man addressing us. He had gray hair and squinty eyes, and he was looking at me in slight confusion.

Hearing the word 'short', Edward instantly woke. He sat up and the man startled. "Whoa, I didn't even see _you_. Colonel wasn't kidding."

I'm pretty sure I hear a vein pop. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THEY CAN'T BE SEEN WITHOUT A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU JERK!"

The man backed up. "Wha–I didn't say–" Swiftly, he cut himself off and fell to his knee, whipping a gun out from behind his back, and pointing it at the man beside him. He wasn't fast enough. Two men wearing dark jackets stood surrounding him, pointing their guns at his head. Slowly he dropped his weapon. "What the–" The man behind him promptly cut him off with the butt of his gun. The gray haired man fell to the floor unconscious.

"All right, listen up! We don't need any heroes today. Everybody put your hands up and shut up."

The three of us exchanged glances before lifting our hands in surrender. Discreetly, I flicked my eyes around us, trying to take in as much of the situation as I could. While we had been distracted, the two men had gotten close and were now pointing their guns at civilians. They wore dark clothes and sunglasses like thugs from an old film. If the situation hadn't been so serious, I might have laughed.

"Hey you! Take off the helmet," one of the thugs shouted at Alphonse.

"Um," he said, hesitating.

Irritated, the man pointed his handgun at the person closest to him threateningly. That person happened to be me. Joy. I brought my hands up to my chest in a placating gesture. "I said take it off!" I felt Ed and Al tense on either side of me.

Ed gasped loudly and pointed behind the men in front of us, an expression of abject horror on his face. "Aaaagh, What is that?"

"What–" the man turned around to see what the fuss was about. Instantly, I took advantage of his distraction. I snapped my palm against his wrist and grabbed his arm, pinning the side of the weapon against my shoulder towards the window, and slammed my knee into his groin. As he bent foreword with a gasp I reached over and wrenched the gun out of his weakened grip and used it to bludgeon his head. He felt to the floor in a heap. I wracked the weapon and discovered it hadn't even been chambered. _What an idiot._

Beside me, Ed took out his opponent just as quickly. He kneed the guy in the gut just as he was about to shoot me and followed up with a hook to the temple. He crumpled on top of his companion with a dull thump.

"Thanks," I said, once I made sure the threat was neutralized. Ed gave me a cocky grin.

"You dumb kids, what are we supposed to do now," shouted a man from the other side of the compartment. "If we had cooperated, we would have been fine! Now they are going to come and investigate when their men don't show up."

I huffed a bit in annoyance. I could have gotten shot, damnit!

"We'll figure something out, old man," Ed said obnoxiously before turning on his heel and stalking towards the exit. "Come on guys, let's see what's going on out there."

With a reckless feeling, I held the loaded gun at the ready and turned to follow, Al clanking along beside me.

 _Wow, guys, I'm not going to lie, that was a bit difficult to write. But there you go! We are finally getting to Central!_

 _I'm going to tell you right now, this will not be a rewrite of the entire series with a third person tagging along. I hate it when authors do that. I will be following the basic events of the animes, but I probably won't recreate every episode word for word. The way I write em is to watch the episodes of the next story arch only once, and then create the scenes by memory. That way I'm not just repeating exactly what happened and you guys aren't bored with reading "Fullmetal Alchemist: the Novel." Some chapters will be very similar to the series, but I've got a huge sub-plot building, so hopefully that will keep it fresh. Also, like I said before, this will be a bastardized version of both FMA and FMAB, so please don't get too excited. I assure you, I'm doing it on purpose._

 _Yay, the boys get in their first real fight. HOO-RAH! One last thing. Does anybody know exactly when Ed discovers the legend of the philosophers stone? I'm having a hard time remembering. Next Chapter: Action! And Mustang!_

 _Please Review! My heart melts a little with every kind word!_


	10. Chapter 10

"Wait! Over here!"

We turned to see the man with gray hair from earlier squirm out of one of the booths like an inchworm, his arms tied up. I ran over and helped him to sit up before untying him. "So who are you guys," he asked while I worked on his bonds. Edward crouched in front of him.

"Just some good old fashioned Alchemists," he said with a slight smile.

"You don't say. I'm Warrant Officer Falman. Thanks for your help back there."

"Your military? You don't look like it," Alphonse said.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to be undercover, so I'm not in uniform."

"What for?"

"Well," with a snap, I finally got through Falman's bonds. He brought his hands to his front and rubbed them gratefully. "We have a high security guest. One of the front car type, if you catch my meaning."

"Figures," I grumbled to myself, standing up.

Falman glanced back at me but looked back forward when Edward spoke. "So that's why these goons are here. They are trying to get to this 'front car' passenger and take the rest of us down with them." He stood. "Al, Alex, you take out the guys in the train cars. I'm going up top." With that, Ed ran out the back of the car and slammed the door behind him.

"Is he always like that?" I said in annoyance. Who made him leader of the pack?

"Pretty much," Al answered in a long-suffering tone. "Come on, there could be other people in danger." Shrugging, I followed him out of the car.

"Hey kid, wait," Falman said. I paused looked over to him. He looked kind of woozy, as if he still hadn't gotten over the blow to the head. "Do you actually know how to use that thing?" He gestured to the gun in my hand.

I pointed the gun up to the ceiling and cocked my head. "Of course," I said with a grin.

Systematically, we emptied each car. The passengers had all been forced to lie on the floor in their booths, so luckily they had been out of the way for the most part. Al would go in first, since he was practically bullet proof, and shield me as I shot from behind him. Unconsciously, I aimed for non-vital areas. Once I had them disabled, Al would rush forward to knock them out and we would instruct the passengers to tie them up before moving on to the next car. At about the sixth car, we heard an explosion that shook the train.

"What was that," I yelled over the screaming of the passengers.

"Ed," Al grunted, taking out the last thug. "Make sure they don't get up!" Al instructed a man in the compartment beside him. We moved on.

"What's going on out there!" A man burst through the door we were about to enter, and I dove behind Al. "What the–" the man shouted, whipping his machine gun around.

"Wait, you shouldn't –" Al tried, but the man wouldn't listen. He started firing his machine gun with a yell. He got about three shots in before one of them ricocheted and hit him in the leg, and he fell down with a scream.

"I tried to warn you," he said. I peaked out from behind my adopted brother but quickly dove back when a second man came through, and in his panic at seeing Al, brought his gun up as well. "No wait!" Al tried again, but this man didn't listen either. The ricochet got him in the arm and he fell with a cry. "Ugh," Al groaned. I snorted loudly in amusement and he elbowed me in the ribs.

We stepped over the writhing men and pushed them out of the compartment. We had reached the front car. I maneuvered to the side of the door and nodded to Al. "Well, here goes." He said, and pulled the door open–only to jump back as a wall of water drained out, carrying a couple of drowned looking men with it. "Ed?" I asked Al weakly. "Ed," Al confirmed with a sagely nod.

Al turned to the stunned men and pounded his fists together menacingly. "Welcome to the brig." Leaving behind terrified screams, and sure Al could handle it, I stepped around him and into the compartment.

I passed through a couple more doors. I cracked the last one open and peaked through.

"Look on the bright side, Bald, you probably needed a shower." A large man wearing a ragged old cloak stood and jerked his head to the side to where I assumed another man had spoken. A flash of light flew through the air and 'Bald' whipped his cloak-covered arm around, blocking it with a clank. A knife skittered to the floor. With the same arm he blocked with, the dark haired man began shooting into the compartment, which slammed shut.

I jerked to the door open and spun around it, falling to my knee. I lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

It clicked. _Damnit_ , I cried in my head _, I'm out of bullets!_

Bald looked at me for a moment with stunned disbelief. And then he started _laughing_. "Ha! This is your cavalry? A kid with an empty gun?" he guffawed loudly.

"No!" Shouted a voice from above us. "I am!" Ed jumped through a hatch in the ceiling and landed in front of Bald, locking hands with the brute. His right arm hit with a loud clank, revealing that Bald had an automail arm of his own.

"What took you so long!" I yelled as I dropped the useless gun, dodging around Bald and slipping into the passenger compartment.

"I was a little busy!" Ed grunted, holding valiantly against Bald's strength.

"What's this? The military leading runts to the chopping board these days?" Bald taunted.

"You're going to pay for that runt comment asshole! And no one is leading me anywhere, I'm on my own!"

While Ed and Bald bantered I crouched down and helped a man with glasses and slick black hair sit up. I inspected a shot wound on his arm underneath the purple fabric of his shirt. The man winced. "Aren't you going to help him?" He asked, gesturing to the door, where Ed was still exchanging insults with Bald.

"Nah, he's got it," I responded with a smirk. "I'm Alex."

"Hughes." The man smirked back. We leaned against the wall and watched Ed's fight.

"Let me give you a piece of advice, kid," Bald continued his monologue. "I used to be in the military too, and it was fine as long as I pissed on cue, but the second I got this upgraded arm they discharged me. You see, the queen bee doesn't like it when her workers are stronger than her. Since then, I've developed a taste for destroying them and everything they stand for."

"That's why you are threatening these people? Some petty grudge!" Ed exclaimed.

"What do you mean petty! You are the same as me, getting an automail arm to gain power. You'll see–"

"Don't," Ed took a step forward, pushing the older ponytailed man back, "you ever compare the reasons for my automail arm," Bald struggled to hold his ground, "with yours!" With a wild look in his eye, Ed smashed the automail in his hand, the lower grade pieces of it scattering on the floor. Bald stumbled back with a startled shout, only to fall into Al, who reared back and knocked the obnoxious man into next week.

I gave Hughes a look and gestured in the direction of the two brothers as if to say, 'see?' and sauntered out of the compartment. I gave a low whistle at the destruction. "Damn, kid, remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Don't call me kid, you're younger than me." Ed retorted back immediately, crossing his arms.

"Alright, alright, 'big brother'," I chuckled. Something caught my eye in my peripheral vision. I gaped. "Um, Ed? What the heck is that?" I pointed to an oddly shaped horn sticking out of the wall. It looked like some kind of strange duck but it had Ed's braid and hair antenna, and it was looking fiercely down at us. I guffawed. "Oh my god, is that supposed to be you?" Al snickered when he spotted it as well.

"Shut up!" Ed screeched. "You try to focus enough to visualize exactly what you want to transmute in a high stress situation. It's not easy!" We laughed harder.

FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA

Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang sauntered forward, his hands behind his back and his faithful subordinates by his side. Bald of the East Freedom Liberation Front Blue Squad and his cronies sat bound before him like the pathetic nuisances they were. Mustang smiled smugly, his black eyes narrowing.

Bald looked up. "So, you're Mustang." He jerked his arms and lunged forward, somehow having escaped his bonds. The Lieutenant Colonel didn't flinch, but smoothly brought up his gloved hand and snapped his fingers.

A surge of flame burst forth from thin air in a violent explosion, causing everyone in close vicinity to throw their arms up to protect their faces. Bald was consumed in a flash of burning crimson agony, and then fell to his knees as the flames were just as quickly dispersed.

Mustang flicked some nonexistent dust off his pristine blue military uniform casually. "I controlled myself. The damage to your skin isn't nearly as bad as it feels, despite the agony you are no doubt in."

He continued with a smug look. "You may call me Roy Mustang, or just Lieutenant Colonel. Hell you can call me the Flame Alchemist. Whatever you do, remember this pain."

Lieutenant Riza was rolling her eyes behind him he could just feel it. Roy preened.

"Hey," Edward Elric, the boy he had recruited just over a year ago, ran in front of him, a furious expression on his face. His hands were fisted at his side and he hunched over, looking like a puppy that got kicked. Roy fancied he could even see a tail tucked between his legs under that obnoxious red coat he was wearing. "You knew these guys would be on that train! You put us at risk on purpose."

"Now Ed, don't be so paranoid. I don't have the whole world on strings you know." Roy waved his hand in a flippant manner. "Besides, the General heard about your exploits and has decided to make an exception and let you take the State Alchemist exam."

The kid looked stricken. "But you said we could always take the exam, that's why we're here!"

"Come on, did you really think the State would allow a kid to take the exam? But fortune smiles upon you." He leaned forward slightly and lifted his eyebrows. "Good thing you got on that train, huh?"

Leaving Ed with a comical flabbergasted expression, Mustang walked away, Riza hot on his heals. "Sir," she said, "who was the third boy that was with them? I don't remember seeing him when we visited the Rockbell's. He looked just like Ed, but I'm pretty sure there are only two Elric brothers."

"Yeah, that's pretty strange all right," Roy said, glancing casually over his shoulder to see the boy for himself. Sure enough, another kid stood by the large suit of amor that he knew to be Alphonse Elric. "How about that."

"Sir?"

"Did you see the crest on his jacket?" Mustang asked, turning his back on the scene and continuing forward.

"It looked like a hurricane, sir."

"Right," Mustang stuck his gloved hands in his pockets, intrigued. "That boy has been trained by Orkan." He grinned. This was getting interesting.

 _Hey guys, I–Oh wait, hang on, the pizza's here...munch munch..._

 _Ok, so this chapter. Yeah, we got to see some action! And Mustang! Just like I promised. Well, this was my last day of freedom since the semester is starting, so I don't know how often I'll be able to update after this, but no worries. I'll always be working on this when I have the time. Please bother me if I seem to have fallen off the face of the planet, and remind me that you're waiting for the next instal and I'll get it done._

 _Next Chapter: Nina. I'm going to bed now (cracks sore fingers and wipes tired eyes). Review please! See you next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

Victorian architecture lined every street in the large city. People bustled about shops and restaurants and between their jobs on foot or in early versions of automobiles that spewed exhaust into the air. The residents dressed nicely; there were no loudly talking women in shorts that exposed more than they covered or casually dressed men in tshirts. Even people who were clearly less prosperous managed to wear jackets or overalls. Every once in a while, as we traveled to Central Command, we would pass government looking buildings that sported white columns and decorated arches. The whole look and feel of the city reminded me strongly of pictures I had seen of Washington DC in the 1920's, back in my past life.

Scattered amongst the civilians were many men and women dressed in blue, usually walking with a purpose, going about their business. The closer we got to Central Command, the more blue uniformed soldiers I saw. They really weren't kidding when they called this a military state. I found it odd that no one really reacted to having clearly armed officers around them. If I still lived in my old world, having the military wandering amongst the civilians would have been somewhat of a cause for alarm. It was like walking by a group of marines on your way to lunch. I found the thought slightly oppressive.

Eventually we made it to our destination. Central command was…impressive to say the least. Looming white buildings towered over us in every direction. The area was completely leveled of any vegetation save for rows of trees lining the walkway, the rest of the ground covered in white limestone.

We were directed by the escort accompanying us past bustling hallways and impressive arches, and finally, we found ourselves seated in Mustang's Office, and were made to wait until he returned.

Al and I sat on a red couch, one of two in the large room. I sighed in relief to get off my aching feet. "Come on Ed, take a load off," I said calmly. Ed had taken to pacing back and forth nervously the longer we were made to wait. He grunted at me, but otherwise didn't respond. I glanced over at Al, who sat silently and stared at the floor.

"What's up with you guys?"

Ed growled. I looked to Al for clarification. "Those people had us dancing right in the palms of their hands. I guess no matter what we do, we'll never be the ones in control."

"You mean Mustang making us get on the early train." Al nodded forlornly. "I dunno, Al," I said optimistically, "It still worked out in our favor."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Ed snapped. "This Mustang Character really rubs me the wrong way."

"Gee, Ed, that hurts my feelings." Startled, Ed turned just as Mustang walked in the door. The Colonel shut it and strolled inside, sitting on the couch opposite Al and myself. He flung his arms arrogantly over the back of the couch and gave Ed a smirk. "And here I was, so happy to see you." Ed grunted, crossing his arms and looking away. Mustang chuckled at Ed's antics.

For the first time, I noticed just how good-looking the Colonel was. Amongst the Amestrians I had seen so far, he looked exotic with his black hair and eyes. Broad shoulders offset a wide chest that tapered into a slim waist, defined even underneath the thick wool of his uniform. Man, he filled it out nicely. And that _power_ he had displayed at the station…I realized after a moment that Mustang had noticed my stare, and his eyes lingered on me just as intently, the room becoming uncomfortably silent. I blushed hotly and looked away. Mustang lifted a brow.

"Just what do you think you're looking at, Colonel." Ed came to my rescue. I was really starting to like that kid.

"Ed, you never told me you had an older brother." Ed's teeth ground together in anger.

"Actually," I spoke up, sensing and explosion and swiftly side stepping it, despite my embarrassment, "I'm the second eldest. My name is Alexander Elric."

"Why didn't I see you when I came to Resmebool?"

"I hadn't lived there in a couple years, not since our mother died." I invented swiftly. Al twitched slightly beside me at the mention of Trisha's death. I winced internally. "I only went back when I heard what had happened."

"Hm," Mustang grunted. I couldn't tell if he believed my story or not. His black eyes were inscrutable. He let us sweat for a few more seconds before loudly changing the subject. "So, you boys think you're ready to take on the State Alchemist Exam?"

"You bet we are," Ed said, suddenly perking up. "Just tell me what to wear to graduation."

"Careful Ed," Mustang smirked, "wouldn't want you to get too cocky." He stood and sauntered over to a mahogany desk adjacent to us and lifted up a clipboard. He handed it to Ed. "In order to prepare for the exam, you have to find your own training. I suggest him."

Ed began flipping through the document on the clipboard. "Sewing-Life Alchemist," he read aloud.

"Shou Tucker. He practically wrote the book on bringing things to life."

 **FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA**

"I still don't trust him," Ed grouched a few hours later. We were on our way to the Tucker estate after our conversation with Mustang. It was later in the evening and there were less people wandering the sidewalks.

"Come on, Ed, he got you into the exam _and_ practically handed us our first lead on getting our bodies back!"

"Yeah, Brother. I really think he is trying to help us."

"Don't count on it lasting for long."

"God, Ed, you're so pessimistic." I ribbed him in the arm…then rubbed my elbow when it hit solid steel. Ed snorted.

"Whoa," Al exclaimed when the house we were searching for came in sight.

"Is this it," Ed breathed, eyes wide. The Tucker estate was huge, two stories at least and about the size of a small hotel. The outside was surrounded by a large yard of lush grass and shrubs. We walked into the yard and one of the bushes rustled and a huge white dog jumped out.

"Gah!" Ed screamed as he was promptly sat on by the large canine. I held back a smile and tried to help Ed move the large animal.

"Alexander," my head jerked up at the sound of my adopted name coming from an unfamiliar child's voice. A small girl had popped her head outside and was staring at us. "You know it's not nice to jump on people." I furrowed my brow in confusion, and then with a mental face smack I realized she wasn't talking to me. She was addressing the dog.

"I'm so sorry." A middle-aged man opened the door a little wider and smiled apologetically. "I should have tied him up when I heard we would be having company."

The child clapped and Alexander the dog shifted off of Ed and heeled in front of her. The little brown haired girl giggled in delight and hugged the large canine around the neck.

Tucker invited us inside. "I'm sorry about the mess," he said, hastily picking up a few books off the cluttered floor. "I'm afraid we lack a woman's touch. Oh, that was sexist of me. I've been quite a mess lately. You see, I had a wife, but she left me a couple years ago."

Tucker dithered about a bit more. He was a nervous fellow with sunken cheeks and eyes hidden behind round specacles. Still, he seemed like a nice sort. "So, you're the Elric Brothers," he began. "Mustang told me a lot about you, but I must confess, I was not expecting such a strange collection of fellows." He was gazing at Al when he said this, and the boy laughed nervously.

"Daddy," the little girl from earlier spoke up. "Why is that man dressed in pots and pans? Isn't it heavy?"

"Heh," Al 'smiled', "don't worry, big brother is very strong."

"Hm." She hummed. She pointed at Al. "Big brother," her hand moved to me, "little brother," Edward, "littlest brother." She smiled beatifically.

Ed's jaw dropped, and he hunched over is if he had been hit in the head. "Wha–" Al and I covered our mouths. Oh my, that was a bit insensitive. Ed walked over to the wall and leaned against it with one hand, the other clutched over his heart like he had taken a mortal wound. "Littlest brother, she called me littlest brother, I'm older than them, damnit…" he mumbled to himself. I snorted. He _had_ taken a mortal wound: to his pride. Ed whipped around and gave me a furious glare.

Tucker cleared his throat. "So sorry of me, I have been rude. I believe introductions are in order. My name is Shou Tucker, Sewing-Life Alchemist." He gestured the little five-year-old girl, who clung to his pant leg. "This is Nina, my daughter. Nina?"

"Nice to meet you!" Nina said with a big smile.

"Nice to meet you too, Nina," Al said. I could almost make out little hearts floating above his helmet. "My name is Alphonse Elric."

"I'm Al's _older_ brother, Edward Elric," Ed said a bit forcefully. I jabbed him in the ribs.

"And I'm Alexander Elric. Nice to meet you." Nina stared at me with one finger on her chin, the most adorable expression of concentration on her face.

"Alexander two!" She pointed dramatically at me with a serious expression.

It was my turn to jaw drop. Was she comparing me to her _dog_? Ed guffawed loudly behind me as I crouched down on the floor, a fog of depression hovering over my head. "Why am I number two to a dog…" I mumbled.

"Nina," Tucker said with the long-suffering tone of a father caring for a five-year-old, "be nice. The Elrics will be staying with us for a while and I want you to be on your best behavior. Why don't you go and play in the courtyard for a little while."

"Yes Daddy." The little girl shuffled out of the room with a pout, reprimanded.

Tucker gave us a rueful smile. "Sorry about that, she can be a handful." He gestured for us to follow him. "Come along, I'm sure you boys want to get started. The Alchemy Exam is very intense, and you are going to need more than a midnight cramming session to pass it."

"Can we look at your research?" Ed asked, suddenly enthused. "We heard you created chimeras?"

"Yeah, and we heard you had a talking one!" Al chirped in. My eyes widened. Had I heard right? This man mixed animals together?

Tucker's expression suddenly got a little dark. "I'm afraid you are too late boys. It died shortly after it was created."

"Oh," Al said, a bit disappointed.

Tucker led us to a large set of double doors. He drew them open to reveal a huge library.

"Whooooah," Edward said, clearly impressed.

"Knowledge is our greatest tool as Alchemists. This is just a small collection compared to the Alchemy floor in Central Library."

With a laugh and an exuberant 'come on, Al' my two adopted brothers dove into the rows of books and began devouring information. I held back with a small smile. Tucker looked down at me, slightly confused. "What about you?"

"Oh no, I'm no Alchemist. It seems that that particular gene passed me by." That was not strictly true, considering I had never tried Alchemy. And I never would. I promised Izumi. "I'm more of a fighter than a scientist. You could say I'm just here for moral support."

"Hm. Well I do have a small collection of tactical combat books. My wife used to enjoy reading about such things." He glanced at me with a somewhat hard to read look.

"No thanks," I said with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm not much for studying. Maybe I could help you out around the house? You know, in payment for letting me and my brothers stay here."

"Alright," he said with a slight smile. "Heaven knows this place needs it."

 _Oh my philosopher's stone guys, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to write that scene. Ever since I decided to name my character Alex! ...so like, ten days then. Hm. I guess it's not really that long. Anyway! Cute Nina stuff! And we are finally in Central! Hold on to your seats guys, cause shit's about to go down._

 _Next Chapter: Ed learns he's awesome, we witness a miracle, and Ed and Al come to a startling realization about their companion. Please Review! For some reason, the counter on my traffic graph has stopped somewhere around 510, so reviews are the only way I know you guys are enjoying the story. Even if it is just a smiley face, please send me your love so I know I'm not abandoned!_


	12. Chapter 12

Years passed, and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar; an air bender named Aang….just kidding. Enjoy.

Weeks passed, and I hardly saw Ed and Al, save for mealtimes. I kept myself occupied as best I could during this time, despite my tension. I felt…frustrated by my lack of involvement, and finally faced with the exam looming in the future, I really began to wonder just what I thought I would be doing while Ed and Al worked as State Alchemists. Would I just be a burden, following them around as they went about their research and did whatever it was that State Alchemists did? Would I even be able to stay with them once they passed, or would they be put in military barracks, leaving me behind to figure out what to do with myself? I just didn't know. None of us had planned beyond passing the exam, and Ed and Al were so consumed in their studying that we didn't get much time to talk. I still trained my body every day, but the inactivity was taking its toll. Nina was a balm for me during this time.

"Alex," her sweet voice asked. After a couple of times being called 'Alexander Two' I finally convinced the girl to call me by my nickname. "Can I play with your hair?" It was late afternoon at the Tucker Estate, about three weeks after we had arrived. We were lying in the grass in the garden, enjoying the warmth of the early winter sun, despite the cool bite in the air. I turned my head to smile at her, gazing through the grass blades. "Sure."

Nina and I would often spend our days together in this manner. She had also been lonely because her father would spend most of his time on his research, and had little time for her. Tucker had explained to me that in order to keep his State Certification, he had to pass an evaluation every year. It was because of that certification that he was able to live such a luxurious lifestyle. This assessment happened to be around the same time as the State Alchemist Exam, so both Nina and I spent many days together as our Alchemists studied away the season. In this time we became very close, and I began to consider Nina as a little sister.

Time went by unnoticed as Nina carded gently through my hair with her delicate fingers. The movements soothed me, and reminded of my mother. My real mother. Melancholy swept through me as I thought of my home, and everything I had lost. The memories were fading. I could no longer remember just the way my mother laughed, or the feel of my lover's fine black hair… God I missed them.

"What's wrong?" Nina asked, peering into my eyes, concerned. I realized with a jolt that my green eyes had brimmed with tears as she braided my hair. I wiped my eyes and smiled forlornly. "You braiding my hair reminds me of my mother. We used to sit for hours in front of the mirror as she taught me how to braid it in different ways. I miss her."

Nina patted my face affectionately, and I held her small palm to my cheek. "There, there. Daddy says that when you miss someone a whole lot, they are thinking about you too, wherever they are. That way we are all connected, no matter how far apart we go."

My eyes widened a bit. "That's very wise of him."

"He says that when I get too sad about my mommy." She gave me a cheerful smile.

With a welling of emotion, I pulled Nina into my arms. "You are such a good girl." Children really were wonderful creatures. They could have such powerful insights into our hearts, and yet still remain innocent of all the evil of the world. Shaking out of my funk, I playfully ruffled Nina's hair and stood up.

"Come on. Let's go bug those studying knuckleheads. It's just about dinner time."

"Who are you calling a knucklehead," Ed asked, suddenly poking his head out the door.

"Who do you think," I shot back, a wide smile on my face.

"Hey!" Ed stepped fully outside and jabbed his finger at me. "Braids are my thing! You copycat!"

I flipped my braid that Nina had given me earlier over my shoulder. A couple flowers fell out and drifted to the ground. "You don't want me wearing a braid? You're going to have to fight me for it," I snarked.

"You're on!"

FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA

Fall came and went, and winter settled into Central in a soft blanket of snow. Ed and Al had finally taken a break from studying and Ed, Al, Nina and I were playing outside.

"I wish you could stay," Nina said as we all cooled down from a rather intense snowball fight. "I mean after you take the test. It gets lonely with just dad."

Ed furrowed his brow. I could tell that lately, the boys had been more cheerful staying at the Tucker Estate then normal. It was like having a home again. And just as I had, Ed and Al had created a special bond with Nina. We would all be sad when the time came to leave.

Ed sat up with a smile, inspired. "What are you drawing, little big brother," Nina asked, walking over curiously. "It's a transmutation circle," Ed said, swiping a stick over the ground with practiced ease. It was still amazing sometimes how he could draw a circle so perfectly like that. He drew as an experienced artist, with graceful arcs achieving something most could not. "When I draw this circle, it will help me make my wish come true." Ed pressed his gloved hands to the ground and a familiar blue light flashed in the yard. From the center of the circle grew a wreath of little yellow flowers, which Ed placed on Nina's head. She giggled in delight.

"Not bad Ed," a man complimented from behind us. We turned to see a familiar black haired and bespectacled figure strolling through the gate.

"Major Hughes," Ed said in surprise. "What brings you here?"

"I couldn't let you study through your birthday Ed. What kind of friend would that make me?"

Ed blinked in surprise. "He's right, Ed! That's today!" Al piped. This was news to me. It hadn't occurred to me to ask. Guiltily, I wondered if that made me a bad friend, like Hughes said.

"How did you know? I haven't told anyone about that yet."

Hughes grinned. "I'm in the investigations department. Wouldn't make much of a Major if I couldn't find that out. Come along now, I'm throwing you kids a party to celebrate!"

"Welcome everyone." The walk to Hughes' house was a short one. It was only a few blocks away. When we went inside, we were greeted by a woman with short brown hair, pretty green eyes and a warm smile. "I've heard so much about you."

"Kids, this is my beautiful wife Gracia."

"Your stomach's a melon!" Ed exclaimed. And indeed, Gracia was round with child, her pink dress hanging off her large abdomen.

"Yes, yes," Gracia said with a blush. "I'll be having a baby any day now. There is a huge fuss in my tummy telling me she wants to come out and see the world!" A slight pang of jealousy jabbed at my heart but I brushed it aside easily at her heartfelt happiness. This was a joyous occasion.

"Would you like to touch," Gracia asked. Ed and Al immediately backed away, "Eeeh?" "Heck no". I snorted. Men.

"Can I?" Nina asked timidly. When Gracia nodded, the little girl gently patted the older woman's stomach with a sense of awe. "It moved," she giggled.

 _Large, warm hands timidly rubbed my stomach, as if afraid even the slightest touch would harm it. My love gazed lovingly into my eyes, wonder etched into his fine features. "I can feel her," he breathed, and he slowly leaned in for a kiss._

"It feels funny." Violently I shook the memory away and returned to the present.

"Come on, Gracia has made a lovely dinner for us all." Hughes smiled, gesturing us inside. Right, it was Ed's birthday. We were there to celebrate.

The party was everything a thirteen year old could ask for. We played games and had a huge meal of the home cooked and comfort variety. Gracia had baked a cake decorated with pink and blue frosting and thirteen glowing candles graced the top. Ed seemed embarrassed by all the attention, but Al and I could tell he was secretly pleased. It had been a while since any of us had celebrated anything, and we all had a great time. There was no stress and no strife, if only for just a little while.

And then it all came crashing down.

"Ooooh!" Gracia exclaimed. She fell to the floor clutching her stomach, as if in pain. Alarmed, Hughes rushed to his wife's side.

"Gracia dear, what's wrong," he fretted, hands fluttering uselessly.

"She's here," Gracia gasped, clutching her husband's jacket tightly. "The baby is here!"

Jaws dropped and hearts stopped. "What do you mean she's here! The doctor said next week!" Hughes yelled.

"Well the baby says now, and I think _she_ gets to choose," Gracia grunted, sarcasm thick.

Al looked outside. "It's a blizzard out there! How are we going to get to the hospital?" His voice shook. "I'll just have to get the doctor myself!" Hughes jumped up and grabbed his coat. "You boys help Gracia," He commanded on his mad rush out the door.

"How do we do that?" Ed shouted in despair. He looked over at me, as if I knew the answer. I shrugged, my eyes wide. I had never delivered a baby before either!

"Alphonse, could you help me to the couch? Ed, get some hot water, and Alex, could you get me some sheets?"

"Right!" We all snapped to as Gracia began giving orders. Ed and Al bustled to do their appointed tasks, and I did as well, my heart pounding in trepidation. If the doctor didn't make it on time, we might be the ones delivering this baby!

We got Gracia settled into her couch and covered her with a blanket. I discreetly helped her remove her underclothes with a blush as the soon to be mother got as comfortable as she could.

"I brought the hot water!" Ed walked carefully into the room holding a round pan full of steaming liquid. "Is there anything else we can do for you Mrs. Hughes?"

"Thanks Ed. Well let's see, I guess I'll need a lot of fresh towels–Ooooh!" She groaned, clutching the sheets in pain. "Ooow!"

The wind howled heedlessly outside the window as we waited in panic and worry through Gracia's contractions. I held her hand through the pain and said words of encouragement. "It's going to be ok, Gracia, you're doing so well! She's going to come out just fine." I intoned, over and over again. Ed, Al, and Nina all stood in the corner, cowering in the face of what was happening.

"It hurts so much, oh I'm dying," Gracia moaned. She panted a couple more times and then seemed to pass out. Nina and Al screamed, but I quickly shushed them, brushing Gracia's drenched bangs out of her eyes. "Shush, she's just resting."

"What do we do, what do we do," Ed panicked, pacing back and forth frantically. He clapped his hands in front of his face forcefully, as if praying. "Damn it all, Alchemy is the ultimate science and it can't do anything to help her."

"Edward," Nina said, sticking her hand into the water, "the water is cold."

Ed quickly bent over to grab the pan. And something amazing happened. As soon as he came into contact with the metal, the unmistakable flash of alchemy lit the room and the water instantly became piping hot.

"Agh!" Ed shouted in surprise.

"Ed," Al said in awe, "that was alchemy! How did you perform alchemy without a transmutation circle!"

"I dunno, I just used my head!"

Gracia screamed, interrupting them. "Aaaaaah I can feel its head!"

"AAAAAAAAA!" we screamed in panic.

"Move out of the way!" We all jumped aside as Hughes burst into the room, white haired doctor in tow. Gratefully we all stepped back.

It was over quickly after that. We stood in the hall waiting to hear the news. "It's funny," Al said as Edward paced, "Alchemists have been trying for hundreds of years to do what Mrs. Hughes is doing right now."

"Yeah, and our mother did it too. Can you believe it?"

"Yes," I said softly, "It truly is a miracle." Ed paused in his pacing and gave me a strange look. He opened his mouth to say something, but the doctor exiting the living room interrupted him. Blood speckled the front of his coat, but he had an elated expression on his face. "You kids can come in now. There is someone who wants to meet you."

With huge grins, Ed, Al and Nina rushed through the door. I followed slowly.

Gracia leaned heavily on the couch, slumped in exhaustion, but sporting one of the most serene expressions I had ever witnessed. Hughes stood behind her with the grin of a man on top of the world. Clutched in Gracia's arms was a tiny squawking baby. It's little face was red with indignation as it screamed its displeasure to the world. Nina and the young alchemists crowded around and Gracia held the babe up for all to see.

From where I stood a slight distance away I could make out every detail of it's face. Her hair was dark, sticking out in odd tufts. Her cries had died down to small hiccups and she opened her eyes for the first time, gazing around the room.

My heart stopped and I ceased breathing. Her eyes were green.

"What are you going to name her," Nina asked, poking her finger into the newborns small hand. It curled around her digit and she giggled.

"Hmm," Gracia considered. "I think I'll call her….Elicia."

Agony like I had not felt since the day I was ripped from my old life tore through me like bullet wound. I clutched at my chest as my face crumpled in grief, scars I thought had healed ripping open and bleeding out. She was going to call her green eyed baby girl Elicia. It was just too much. _I can't take this anymore, I can't–_

 _"_ _Do you think it's going to be a girl?" The man I loved asked as we lounged on the porch, my head in his lap and his hand on my abdomen._

 _"_ _Definitely," I replied. "I dreamed it after all, so it must be true." He chuckled._

 _"_ _What should we name her?"_

 _"_ _Hmm. I think I'll name her…Alyssa."_

Ed was smiling from ear to ear. He pumped his fist. "Awesome! Awesome, awesome, awesooooome!"

"Is that all you can say, brother? We just witnessed the miracle of birth and all you can say is awesome?"

"Well it is!" Ed turned his exuberant eyes to me. His face dropped in confusion and worry. "Alex…?"

My mind whirled and my vision blurred. I had to get out of here. Now! I spun on my heel and ran. "Alex!" Someone called out behind me, but I didn't stop. I slammed open the front door and plunged into the freezing night, the storm finally subsided. I didn't stop until I reached the Tucker house. Desperately, I pounded on the door until Tucker answered.

"Alex, what–" I brushed past Tucker and sprinted up the stairs. I entered my temporary room and collapsed on the bed. I sobbed. _I can't, I can't, it hurts too much, please make it stop–_ Images of my past life and what could have been flashed before my eyes, each one a new knife wound in my heart. I cringed in agony for hours until darkness finally took me.

FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA

Edward and Alphonse raced after their adopted brother as he pounded blindly through the snow. "Alex, wait!" Ed shouted, but the distraught boy didn't seem to hear him. They followed him to the Tucker Estate, the cold moon the only light to guide them.

They found Tucker standing at the open entranceway, gazing up the stairs in confusion. Ed skidded to a stop, panting to catch his breath, a white mist hovering in front of his face. Al clanked to a stop beside him. Wordlessly, Tucker pointed up the stairs, and the two brothers raced up them.

They came to Alex's room. Ed was just about to start pounding on it when a small sound stopped him. Heart racing, he gently pushed his ear against the cold wood of the door. His breath hitched and his pale gold eyes widened in horror.

"Al, he's crying!" Sure enough, over the sound of Ed's gasps of air a heartbreaking sobbing could be heard. Ed moved away from the door as if burned. "Why…" He looked over to his younger brother for answers.

Al stood absolutely still in the hall, the moonlight filtering through the window giving his smooth planes a soft glow. His eyes were downcast, and Ed could not even see the red spots that represented his soul.

"I've been wondering this for a while," Al said softly, "but do you remember what Pinako said about Alex?"

"Yeah," Ed responded just as quietly. "We stole a soul from another world to fill the void we accidentally created in your body."

"Who do you think that soul was, Ed? We took Alex from his home and forced him into an unfamiliar body and world."

"I don't know. All Pinako would say was that he was…a woman…" Horrified realization spread over Ed's washed out features, pale in the night. "You don't think…"

"Yes." Al said, his voice weak. "I think Alex might have been a mother. Maybe even pregnant."

Ed looked stricken. The gold haired boy wordlessly leaned his head against Alex's door, his hands curled into fists beside his face. "We were just trying to bring mother back…but instead we ended up tearing another child's mother away. What have we done Al…"

"We have to make this right, Brother."

Ed clenched his fists tighter and turned around. When he looked up at his younger brother, his eyes were brimmed with unshed tears, but fierce with determination. "Right," he said. The only sound left in the cold night was the sobs that filtered through the door.

 _Wow guys, that was a tear jerker. I had a really hard time writing this one, but in a lot of ways, it was one of the easiest chapters I wrote. If you feel just as sad as I do right now, it means I've done my job._

 _The scene with Ed getting mad about the braid is dedicated to Shiloh, since that was mentioned in one of Shiloh's reviews. Hope you liked it! Next Chapter: The Exam, and something none of the boys saw coming. Please review! It helps me write chapters like this one! And please let me know if I make any mistakes. I literally write and then post without proofreading much._


	13. Chapter 13

_It's the beginning of the end people, at least for this story arch. Enjoy. This is going to get pretty intense for a while. I can already tell this chapter is going to be a monster, so I hope you have a bit of free time._

The day after my meltdown, I woke to a depressingly cheerful dawn, the sun shining heedlessly of my feelings. I reluctantly got up and shuffled down the stairs to find Ed, Al and Nina all waiting for me in the dining room. They stared at me, and I uncomfortably shifted my weight. I knew I looked like a mess, my hair in disarray and no doubt deep shadows under my bloodshot eyes. Nina hopped down from her seat and rushed to me, throwing her small arms around my waist. "Were did you go, big brother? We were worried about you," she cried.

I sighed deeply and patted the fussing girl on the head. "I'm sorry Nina," my voice croaked. I cleared it. I sounded awful. "All the excitement made me feel a little ill and I had to leave. I'll get better in no time."

The young girl looked up at me skeptically, if a child so young could be skeptical. Seeming to brush it off, she gave me a bright smile. "Daddy says that when you get sick, you should eat soup. I'll make you some!" With that, Nina bustled out of the dining room and into the kitchen. Banging pots and pans could be heard, and I wondered vaguely if I should go in there and make sure she didn't get hurt, but I couldn't bring myself to move.

I looked over to Ed and Al, attempting to apologize to them as well, but my words stuck in my throat. Two sets of eyes, one gold and one red, stared at me intently, as if trying to break through my walls into my very soul. "I…"

Al stood with a clank, rounded the table and stood in front of me. He loomed and I looked up into his menacing but somehow compassionate eyes, his large form casting a shadow on my face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted his large leather hand, as if afraid I would be frightened. Gently, he brushed my blond bangs aside and placed his hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes as his emotions washed through me.

I felt worry, compassion and affection brush through my mind like a gentle breeze. "Alex…" Al whispered, distraught. I knew he could feel everything I felt, and I was a little grateful that he hadn't been in contact with me last night, or else he would have been all the more distressed. "I'm sorry," I said, attempting to pull away, but Al wouldn't let me. Protectiveness reached me through our link and I patted his armored arm affectionately.

"No," Ed suddenly spoke from his position at the table. His head was bowed, his bangs hiding his eyes. "We are sorry. We are the ones who did this to you. We will make it right, we–" His voice hitched and he clenched his fist on the table, the metal scraping it slightly through his glove.

"Ed..." Ed and Al seemed to be taking my upset really hard, even though I knew they didn't know the whole story. Maybe they didn't need to. I knew that they blamed themselves for what happened to me, but I guess I just wasn't ever expecting this level of protectiveness from them. I mean I was just a stranger, right? Sure we were friends, but in the end all I was was an obligation to them…but no. That wasn't right. Over the past few months, no, the past year and a half, we had become close. It was almost like…I smiled.

Abruptly I sighed, tired of all of this emotional crap. I stepped away from Al and ruffled Ed's hair roughly.

"Gah! Hey!" He exclaimed, trying futilely to whack my hand aside. He looked up from the table, disgruntled.

I snorted at his expression. "You know what? Soup sounds great." I turned on my heel and started to walk into the kitchen. I paused at the doorway. "And guys…Thanks. I couldn't have asked for better brothers." I left the two gaping, and in Ed's case, blushing, boys in my wake and went to join Nina, my countenance just a little brighter.

The season changed and Ed and Al dove into their studies with new determination. The exam loomed in the horizon, only days away, and I hardly ever saw them after that morning. Pressure was high, and failure just wasn't an option. We had just come too far. In those days, we felt that once Ed and Al became State Alchemists, it was like this huge door would open up, and we would finally start our journey to restore all that we lost. But first, they had to pass.

Ed and Al weren't the only ones on edge. Our host had taken to shutting himself in his lab for hours without coming out. When he did join the rest of us, it was only to eat, and he spoke little during this time. We knew he was stressed, but he barely even spoke to Nina anymore and she was becoming very worried. Ed speculated that Tucker's research was not going well.

"He told us that he might lose his certification if he doesn't do well on his assessment," Ed said. "We just need to give him space." Maybe Ed was right, and Tucker would go back to his normal self once he passed his assessment. But still, I couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled. Sometimes, when Tucker's eyes would pass over me, I would feel a foreboding shiver run down my spine. Those weren't the eyes of the kind man who had taken us in. They looked…I really hoped Ed knew what he was talking about, because I was starting to get concerned for Tucker's mental health. All that stress couldn't be good for one man.

Finally, the day for the written exam, what Ed liked to call E-day, arrived and we traveled to Central Command. Tensions were high, and I tried my best to lighten the mood where I could, but was having little success. We arrived at the large steps that led the white building that Ed and Al would be tested in. "Guys, you can do this," I encouraged. "Yeah," Al said. Ed just grimaced. The boys walked in determinedly, and I sat on the marble steps to wait.

–

"Hey kid," a man's voice yelled. I cracked open my eyes. I had been sitting on the stairs for a good two hours, and I had thrown my head back and just let the early spring sun warm my face. A blond man in uniform, the one who had addressed me, strode towards me from across the marble courtyard. His hair was cropped short, and he had a cigarette clenched between his grinning teeth. Vaguely, I recognized him as one of the men we met when we spoke with Mustang, all those months ago. "You're one of the Elric's right? How have you been?"

"Meh, could be better, could be worse. You?"

"Good, good," the man waved past the formalities. "So, are your brothers in there taking the exam? I heard through the grapevine that they were taking the test this year."

"Yeah, those guys are pretty amazing." I gestured vaguely for the man to sit next to me, not bothering to move from my lazy position. The man took a seat with a smile, a thin trail of smoke drifting in front of his eyes.

"What about you? Not into the alchemy thing?"

"Nope," I said, tilting my head back again. I had missed the sun, and maybe it was just because I hadn't been doing much, but the winter had felt really long. "I hate studying."

My companion snorted at that. "My name is Lieutenant Jean Havoc by the way. I believe we met a few months ago, but I can't remember your name."

I cracked an eye open to regard him. He looked amused. "Alex."

For the next several hours, Havoc and I chatted while I waited for Ed and Al to emerge. The sun drifted slowly across the horizon as we talked. I wondered why Havoc was sitting here with me while he was clearly at work. He only smirked. Some time later, he excused himself and left me on my own.

Eventually, the doors were thrown open and group of very tired looking people filtered out. I stood and stretched my aching limbs and went to find my brothers.

"Whoa, you guys look like zombies." Indeed, Ed and Al looked exhausted. Ed looked half dead and Al was slumped over, his arms hanging listlessly at his sides.

"What are zombies?" Ed asked, making a great impression of one.

"You know, zombies? When the dead –you know what, never mind." I quickly backtracked. Faux pas. "How did the test go?"

Ed slumped even further. "My arm feels like a noodle and I didn't finish." He whined.

"I got through it, but they said that there is going to be a physical exam. How am I supposed to get through that?" Al added, looking defeated.

"Awe, come on guys, it can't be all that bad." Slowly, we walked to an open patch of grass and sat down. Or, in the case of Ed, collapsed dramatically. "Some of that stuff I've never even heard of," Ed complained.

"Well, yeah, Havoc was telling me that most Alchemists have to study for decades before they even consider taking that test."

"Who's that?"

"One of Mustang's men. We met him when we first got to Central." Ed grunted, and we all fell silent.

"Ed, what am I going to do about the physical exam?" Al said forlornly.

"You could always put Alexander inside of you and pretend you're a talking dog." Ed said with a devious grin. Al whacked his brother in the gut, and Ed coughed dramatically. "I don't think that's very funny."

"So now what," I asked, leaning back in the grass.

"Well," Al said, "now we wait. They have to look over everyone's exams, and then if we pass, there will be a demonstration tomorrow. From those, one or two Alchemists will be selected to join the military."

"Greeeat," I groaned, flopping onto my back, "more waiting. Is this what I will be reduced to for the rest of my life? Following you guys around and waiting?"

"Of course not," Ed quipped. "There is a lot of traveling in this job. If you're a good boy, I'll let you carry my bags!"

"Why you!" I grabbed Ed in a headlock until he surrendered. We wrestled, releasing at least some of the tension we all felt, at least for a short while.

FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA

That night, we traveled back to the Tucker estate, elated that the first step of the exam was over. Havoc was nice enough to give us a ride back, and when asked to stay for dinner, refused, only exchanging a few words with Tucker before promising to be back in the morning. Ed and Al would have to report back to Central Command bright and early, and it was then that they would be told whether they passed. If so, they would be taking the demonstrative part of the exam that afternoon. Al still fretted, but I had a good feeling that somehow it would all turn out right.

We ate dinner in relative peace, with only one mishap when Alexander felt left out and Nina thought it was a great idea to let him eat at the table. After dinner, as we were all getting ready for bed, I exchanged goodnights with everyone and entered my room.

That's when the chills started.

At first, I thought nothing of it, believing I was only tired, but as I tossed and turned in my bed I began to worry. I lifted my hand weakly to my forehead and confirmed what my body was telling me. I had a fever.

"Shit."

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The next morning at dawn, Edward Elric's eyes snapped open as soon as the early morning light touched his skin. Today was the day. This day he would learn whether or not he had the stuff to become a State Alchemist and start on his journey to restore the lives he had destroyed. He sat up and stretched his muscles, immediately tensing back up as he felt tenfold the anxiety that he had been feeling for months.

"Brother?" Al walked into the room, coming back from whatever it was he had been doing while Edward slept.

"Today's the day Al. Are we ready for this," he asked seriously.

"We have to be," Alphonse responded, just as grave. The two brothers quickly went through their morning routine, Ed showering and braiding his hair while Al tidied after his volatile brother and cleaned the room. Ed rushed through the maintenance of his automail, oiling the gears and making sure it was sealed, before hastily throwing on his clothes. He would probably regret not taking care of it properly if it rained later, as it was always painful when water got in between the joints, but he was just too excited to care. Today was the day!

Ed and Al, finished with their morning rituals, went to fetch Alex who was usually the latest in waking. "Yo, Alex," Ed knocked on the door with the back of his hand, "are you awake?" No answer. "Alex? I'm coming in."

Ed slowly pushed the door open. The inside of the room was shadowed still, as the curtains were drawn. He looked over the bed to see Alex haphazardly lying on top of the covers, the blanket discarded on the floor some feet away. Ed walked across the room and reached down to shake him awake. "Hey, Alex, are you still sleeping? Come on, Havoc will be here any minute…" Ed paused. "Al. Get in here."

Alphonse, who had been standing outside the door politely, walked into the shadowed room. "Brother?" He saw Edward standing over Alex's prone form. "What's wrong with Alex," he asked, alarmed.

"He has a fever," Ed said gravely. He furrowed his brown and gently brushed the boys sweaty bangs aside. "Go get Tucker. We need to get him some medicine."

"Uh, right," Al said exiting the room swiftly, leaving Ed to take care of the sick boy. The suit of armor ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tucker was there, drinking a cup of coffee and staring blankly out into the sunrise. "Mr. Tucker, come quick! Alex is sick!" Tucker slowly turned his head, his glasses reflecting the light from the window and hiding his eyes.

"Sick? Oh my."

Alphonse and Tucker rushed up the stairs. "This isn't good." Tucker removed his hand from Alex's heated brow. "I'm afraid Alex won't be going anywhere today." He pinched the bridge of his nose looking stressed.

The doorbell rang, buzzing obnoxiously through the house. Ed looked over his shoulder out the open door of Alex's bedroom. "That's probably Havoc. Ed, we have to go," Al fretted, worry thick in his voice. Ed nodded solemnly. This wasn't how he wanted it. Alex should _be_ there when they took the exam, he was just as much apart of this as they were. It wasn't right. But…

"Tucker, I know your assessment is tomorrow and you're busy, but could you please look after Alex today?"

Tucker sighed, and dropped the hand that was massaging his temple. "It's alright. I've almost prepared my lab for what I have in mind."

The door rang insistently. "Thanks, Tucker, we owe you one." Ed took one last look at their ill friend and he and Al hurriedly went to go greet Havoc.

Within the darkened room, Tucker tilted his head down and stared coldly at the still young man. The boy was sweating profusely, and his breath was shallow. Wordlessly, Shou Tucker turned away from the bed and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. The child wasn't going anywhere, after all. He had made sure of that.

–

"What do you mean, I have to drop out of the exam, I passed didn't' I," Alphonse exclaimed. Shortly after they had arrived, Mustang had pulled them aside to talk. They stood in the shadow of a building, out of sight from the main entrance.

"Yes," Mustang said, his face cast in shadow, "your marks were outstanding, the both of you. However," he looked into the boy's eyes, expression serious, "if you want to keep your pasts a secret, you need to back out now."

"But I worked so hard! I will not be separated from my brother!" the boy protested hotly.

"And you won't have to be. Just because he gets certified doesn't mean we will lock him away."

"But–"

"Al, its ok," Edward interrupted his brother's fretting. "Remember what aunty Pinako said. State Alchemists have to work in service to the military. You have to go where they say, and do things you might not want to do, even hurt people for some greater good you don't understand. It means you are a dog of the military with a leash around your neck."

"But Brother–"

Ed interrupted him quickly, his face turning serious. "One of us needs to join to get what we want but both of us don't have to. I'll become a State Alchemist, and I swear, I will set things right. Only one of us needs to make this sacrifice."

"Brother…"

Mustang watched impassively from the shadows. "Come with me. It's time for the interview."

Edward patted his bother on the arm one last time before following Mustang into the light, walking into the imposing white building alone. He would bear this, because he had made a promise to the only family that he had left. Alphonse despairingly telling him that he couldn't remember the way Ed's touch felt, and Alex's desperate cries in the night; the boys who, despite Edward's heinous crimes, still smiled and supported him after all this time, flitted through Edward's mind. They were relying on him, and he would not fail.

 _Sorry guys, this whole chapter is basically a set-up for the next one. But don't worry! To make up for it, I will be posting the second half this afternoon. The chapter was just getting too long and it started to feel rushed, so I split it in half._

 _Thank you everyone who reviewed! Let me just say, it is really fun to read all of you speculating about Alex and his original body's fate. I'm getting some really interesting comments, and a couple of you have gotten in the ball park, but no cigar. We'll find out a bit more about that when the boys go to the fifth lab. Anyone who actually guesses gets a one-shot of your choice! Just let me know and I'll write it for you._

 _Just a reminder, this is a combination of both FMA and FMAB and I will shamelessly mess with the timelines and characters of both to suit my purposes. I may be following FMA for now, but that will fluctuate as I go along. Have faith! Everything will make sense in the end, so don't worry too much and just enjoy the ride. And please, keep reviewing! A lot of my humor and how I write scenes comes from how my readers react to previous chapters._

 _Next Chapter: Shou goes crazy and everyone pays the price. See you in a bit!_


	14. Chapter 14

_I own nothing but Alex and the concept of Soul's Directive. Warnings: language, torture, and a gore._

I woke slowly, and shifted uncomfortably. My whole body felt hot, but there was a burning cold at my back. I felt the surface beneath me with my hand. It was smooth and ice cold to the touch. _Wha…how did I get on the floor?_ Hazily, I remembered falling ill…

I gasped. The exam! What time was it? I attempted to sit up, but fell back onto the hard floor, my body too weak to move much. I cracked open my eyes, trying to make out where I was. It was dark, and sound was muted, as if I had cotton stuck in my ears, but I could hear what sounded like a dull scraping. Blearily, I could make out the ceiling. It looked like it was covered with…were those transmutation circles? I turned my head, and had to fight a wave of dizziness before I could open my eyes again.

"Nina," I croaked, my voice sounding like dry sandpaper. Nina was sitting a few yards away from me, Alexander huddled to her side. But something was wrong… Her eyes were wide open, and she seemed to fold into herself, trying to make herself look as small as possible.

She was locked in a cage. Alarm swept through me and I tried to take in my surroundings through the dizziness. The room I was in looked like a cellar with concrete walls. Every surface was covered in what appeared to be transmutation circles. My senses were coming back to me gradually, and I began to notice more. Movement to the side of me caught my eye. I peered into the dark recesses of a cage to my left, one of many I could see in the room. Slowly, a trembling creature came into the light.

My eyes widened in horror. The creature panted through a maw of razor sharp teeth, its breath a white mist in the frigid air. It was grotesque. It looked like a cross between an alligator and a dog, its proportions awkward and unnatural. The creature lifted a contorted claw at me and made a violent swipe towards my body, causing me to flinch badly, but still unable to move away.

"Chimera," I gasped in disgust. I peered into the other cages in my immediate range of vision and saw similarly perverted creatures, all seeming to howl in agony and scrape their cages in a cacophony of pain. I shuddered violently in fear. When I had heard the theory of fusing two or more animals together, I was not expecting…this.

"Awake are you," a cold voice echoed off the walls. Tucker…? I struggled to lift my head off the cold ground in order to see him. He was sitting at a desk on the far side of the room, a candle flickering beside him. He was turned in my direction, but I could not make out his expression.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice," Tucker spoke suddenly, his voice loud over the scraping of suffering creatures. He stood and walked over to loom over my prone position on the floor. "I'm the _Sewing-Life_ Alchemist. Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"Tucker…what…" my voice trembled. "Where are we…why is Nina…"

Tucker ignored me completely. He crouched down and I got a view of his eyes. They were wide open and staring at me, but they were empty, as if his soul was absent. I shivered in fear. He looked insane. "It's funny. I've always been underestimated in my life. People have always looked at me like I wasn't good enough. Like the State. Like my wife…"

"Tucker…please…" Suddenly, his face contorted in fury and he grabbed my bangs, lifting my upper body off the floor painfully. I cried out and Nina whimpered from her cage in fear.

"You think I'm worthless too, don't you! You thought I wouldn't figure it out, but I did! Edward and Alphonse's bodies and your strange alchemical signature. Did you think I wouldn't recognize a transmuted creature if I saw one? You boys did the taboo. You attempted human transmutation!" He shouted, his voice shaking with strain. My eyes widened in shock, and I struggled weakly to escape his painful grip. What did he mean by transmuted creature?

His face slacked back into a relaxed calm, freakishly going from one extreme to another. "Hm. The drug I gave him must have worn off…" he mumbled to himself. He dropped me abruptly and walked back to his desk, rummaging.

My mind was reeling. Tucker had figured out what happened, somehow. But what he said about me…it couldn't be right. I gave off a strange alchemical signature? Ok, but I wasn't transmuted. I was pulled into Al's vacant body when his soul was taken to fuel the transmutation to bring back their mother…Pinako said so...right? Tucker seemed to think I was the subject of that transmutation…

"You're wrong," I croaked. "Ed and Al didn't create me. They were trying to bring back their mother…I was pulled into Alphonse's body…"

"Their mother, hm…It's actually quite simple then, what happened. You see, Alchemy has three parts: Comprehension where you must understand the inherent structure and properties of the atomic or molecular makeup what you are transmuting, Deconstruction, where Alchemists use energy to break down the identified material into a more easily molded state, and Reconstruction, where we continue the flow of energy, via transmutation circle, to create a new substance of equal value. That is what is printed in the books on Alchemy, and that is what you will find in most cases. However, there is one other concept that is not oft written about, but is just as important. Soul's Directive." Tucker lifted an empty bottle up to the candlelight and cursed, before putting it back and continuing his rummaging.

"Soul's…Directive…?" My strength was slowly returning to me, and I struggled to sit up.

"Yes. You see," Tucker continued, speaking normally as if this was just another lecture over dinner, "Comprehension, Deconstruction, and Reconstruction aren't enough. You have to be able to visualize exactly what you are creating. My guess is, that when Edward and Alphonse attempted to bring their mother back, Alphonse lost his body and Edward lost his arm or leg. Edward, who was the only person remaining to drive the transmutation circle, witnessed his brother's body being consumed, and his Soul's Directive changed in that moment from wanting to bring his mother back to life to regaining his brother. Unconsciously or not, he changed the equation."

I gaped at Tucker, my arms trembling to hold my weight. This body was actually meant to be Trisha…? But…

 _"_ _I went to their house to investigate, and what I found was absolute Hell. There was a huge transmutation circle on the floor of their basement and in its center…I can only surmise that they were trying to bring back their deceased mother, but what they created wasn't human. I buried the poor creature in the back yard." Pinako said, shuddering visibly._

But…

 _My senses came back to me slowly, as if I was experiencing the slow reactions of a dream. I turned my face to the side in annoyance from the tickling raindrops and flinched when my cheek met grass. How the hell did I get outside?_

But…

 _"…I'm sorry, but I don't remember what happened that night either. I recall Brother and I putting our hands on the transmutation circle to complete the ritual, but I blacked out after that. The next thing I remember I am in this body and Brother is losing a lot of blood. So much blood…And that thing we created," Alphonse's voice began to tremble, "it wasn't even her…it was in pain and we created it! It was screaming–"_

This theory was crazy, but none of us had really talked about what had happened that night. No one could really remember what happened, save for Ed, and even he didn't know what to make of me...Could it be true? But if I was that thing they created, then why did I look like Alphonse three days later?

"What I don't get," Tucker said, suddenly sounding angry, "is how two _children_ managed to perform a perfect human transmutation! You should be a bloody contorted corpse, no more than a cadaver only able to live for a few short minutes. How did they do it!?" He slammed his hands on the desk, and I flinched badly. "I've been studying for decades, and two upstarts manage to do in one year what I haven't managed to do in forty!"

Tucker's position suddenly relaxed, and he turned to me slowly, clutching something in his hands. I gasped in fear, and struggled to move my unresponsive limbs. He was holding a handful of thin knives, their smooth metal glinting a wicked red in the candlelight. He stalked forward and I was powerless to stop him.

"Daddy no!" Nina, who had been silent up to this point, suddenly yelled out. Tucker paused in his stalk and glanced over at her dispassionately. "Niiina," Tucker intoned, and Nina flinched, tears streaming down her small face. "What did Daddy tell you about interrupting his work?"

"Please," she hiccupped bravely, "don't hurt big brother." Alexander growled menacingly, and Tucker frowned in annoyance. The insane man heaved back and brutally threw one of the daggers. I screamed, throwing out my arm uselessly. The dagger hit with a dull thud and Alexander yelped piteously before crumpling to the cage floor. Nina cried out in terror, before passing out behind him.

Tucker sighed. "Damn, I guess I'm going to need another animal…perhaps one I've already transmuted…"

"You fucking bastard," I yelled, struggling desperately to get to my knees. "What are you going to do with Nina!"

Tucker turned his cold eyes to me, a grimace of distaste on his demented features. "God, you are so noisy. You're just like my wife, always calling me names and yelling at me." He continued his stalk towards me and I froze in terror. He picked me up by the scruff of my neck as if I was a weak kitten and dragged me to an open space in the room. I watched the floor underneath me in horror: he was dragging me to the center of an immense transmutation circle. I struggled with as much strength as I could, slowing him down slightly. Tucker cursed and threw my body to the center roughly. He straddled me and sat heavily on my abdomen, forcing me to stop moving and struggle to breath.

"Don't worry, Alex," He said, inspecting one of the knives in his hand, "I won't do anything to Nina as long as you are a good boy. You see, I was going to transform her and Alexander into a talking chimera, as I had done with my wife all those years ago to get my State Certification. After all, why change something that works?" I gasped pathetically, crushed under his weight. "You..sick bastard…"

"But then you came along," Tucker continued, ignoring my comment. Or perhaps he could no longer hear me. "A perfect human transmutation, and I thought to myself, why not use a creature that has already been transmuted once to create my chimera?" He grabbed one of my wrists and held it to the floor. He lifted a knife above it, and I began hyperventilating, watching it glint in the red light. "After all, your soul has already survived one trip through the gate, why not another?" He plunged the knife straight through my hand and into the floor, impaling it in place. I screamed, convulsing violently and almost throwing Tucker off. He held me down through my convulsions until I fell limp, my body going into shock.

"Relax, Alex, I just need you to stay still. I only penetrated the muscle in your hand, so there won't be any permanent damage. I can't turn in damaged goods after all." He got off me, and I curled around my impaled limb.

Tucker moved away from me as I trembled in agony, my blood pooling beneath me on the floor. The last of the drug burned out of me in a violent wash of adrenaline, but I was now in too much pain to move. Receptors fired off in my mind to _escape, run, fight!,_ but my strength had left me. Shakily, I brought my other hand to try and remove the knife that so cruelly pinned me to the floor, but I couldn't bring myself to touch it, unconsciously fearing more pain.

Tucker moved about the room, seemingly oblivious to my aguish. He paused in front of several cages, muttering to himself, before shaking his head and turning to another. Finally, he stopped in front of a medium sized cage and crouched down. He opened the bars of the cage and pulled out a squirming creature, hitting it hard over its head with the butt of a knife to still it. He brought the dazed creature to the center of the transmutation circle next to me, and held it to the floor. Deftly, he plunged the knife into the animal's shoulder, careful not to destroy any tendons. It screamed as he got off of it, it's cry an unnatural squealing. I looked passed the knife in my hand to look at the creature that Shou intended to merge me with, and nearly threw up. It looked like a cross between a rat and a snake, it's writhing body convulsing over the pool of blood that grew around it.

Tucker crouched down near the edge of the transmutation circle. "Please…no…" Was this it? Was this how my story ended? I would be merged with some perverted creature to become this crazy man's meal ticket? This man, who had transmuted his own _wife_ just for _money and a shiny pocket watch_? "No…" tears ran down my face, only to drip down into the pool of blood soaking my clothes. Tucker's hands moved to touch the transmutation circle and I closed my eyes in defeat. All of the people I had ever loved flashed before my eyes: _My parents, my lover, little unborn Alyssa, Winry, Izumi, Orkan… Ed an Al…_ It would all end here. I was a fool to have thought this story would ever have a happy ending. I braced myself for the pain that would be the rest of my short existence. Time seemed suspended as I waited for the guillotine to plunge.

"My my, what do we have here," a voice asked from behind Tucker. The chimeras, which had all been screaming up until this point, fell silent. My eyes snapped open.

Tucker spun around. "Who –" Tuckers body jerked forcefully as he was pierced by long spikes of black. His blood splattered onto me and I watched with wide eyes as his body fell lifelessly to the floor.

A tall woman was revealed. She had long waving black hair and blood red lips. Her body was a perfect hourglass figure wreathed in black on her chest was a red mark; a dragon biting its tail. She turned her eyes to me, and my breath hitched. She was one of the most gorgeous beings I had ever laid eyes on.

"You poor dear," she said in a sultry tone. The spikes, which appeared to be distended fingers, retracted back into the woman's hand, pulling out of Tucker's corpse with a sick squelch. "I got here as soon as I realized that something wasn't right. Looks like I was right on time."

The woman sashayed over to me, and I cringed back in fear, no longer able to comprehend what was going on. She gently brushed her fingers over my forehead to my cheek in a sick imitation of affection, marking me with Tucker's blood. I trembled, unable to take my eyes off of her. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner, little one." She brushed her hand down my side, as if trying to comfort a scared animal.

Abruptly, she grabbed the knife impaling my hand to the floor and yanked it out with a violent twist. My mouth opened in a silent scream of agony and I jerked my injured hand to my chest. Finally free, I stumbled to my feet and backed against the wall trying to press myself through it.

The mysterious woman stood and brought the knife to her lips, licking off a drop of crimson blood. She smiled at me coyly and pointed towards the open door. "Run." She said.

I did. I skirted around her, nearly tripping over Tuckers body, and ran for my life.

–

Lust the Lascivious dropped the blood soaked knife on the floor in disgust. That was too close. If she hadn't come in when she did...

She looked around the room in distaste, taking in all of the cowering abominations around her. Viciously, she extended her fingers and killed them all, reveling in their dying throes. She checked in each cage to make sure she had gotten them all. She had, all except for one white dog, which had already been dead when she arrived. She turned and left the room, not seeing the small child lying unconscious behind her deceased companion.

Their interests were still intact, for now.

 _Ha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Or maybe you did. Am I being predictable? Anyways, we find out a bit about what might have happened that fateful night, but it brings up more questions than ever. Was Alex really in Alphonse's recreated body, or was he another creature entirely? And what the hell is Lust doing there? WOULD ED EVER GET TALL?! The boys will speculate more in the next few chapters._

 _Disclaimer: the information about alchemy was from FMA wikia. They were kind of vague on how Alchemists were forming exactly what they wanted, so I took creative initiative. This is my theory about what might have happened, so sorry if it is not entirely accurate. It makes sense for how I want this story to go, so I'm sticking with it._

 _Next Chapter: Ed and Al return home triumphant, only to find a massacre, and an injured Alex runs into someone after his blood. Please let me know what you think! See you next time!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hi guys! There seems to be some confusion about the concept of Soul's Directive. Don't worry; once all of this crazy drama is over with, Ed will set the record straight. Flashback and book definitions! But for now, on with the drama! Alex isn't out of the woods yet!_

Heart pounding, chest aching, I dove desperately out of the Tucker Estate and into the pouring rain of the late afternoon. My mind was empty and my pupils blown wide. I was nothing more than an animal escaping a predator, and I fled on trembling limbs, my injured hand clutched to my chest and leaving a bloody trail in my wake.

I stumbled down empty streets, not paying any attention to where I was going. There was not a soul around to witness my flight, for the streets were cleared of people taking shelter of the deluge. The rain soaked my soiled clothes and washed the blood from my skin, but I did not feel it. The cold of the early spring air bit through my bones and froze my muscles, but I was already frozen. The only thing in my mind was a desperate need to _escape_ , a last ditch effort for freedom and to _live_.

I ran until I exhaled in heaving gasps of white mist and my lungs and limbs burned from the cold air, my body pleading with me to stop. Still, I ran on until my legs gave out and I slumped against the wall of an ally. My body trembled and jerked, but I had exhausted myself and could go no further. _He's after me, he's after me, he's coming for me–_

Over and over my mind replayed the horrifying images of what I had just experienced _blood, pain, terror,_ and I was no longer able to comprehend that Tucker was dead, and that he would no longer harm anyone else ever again. I stared up at the muted sky, heedless of the freezing rain that blurred my vision and made animalistic noises of fear and pain, far beyond the ability of coherent thought. I clutched my hand to my chest, and it throbbed and bled, further soiling my shirt.

In the filthy ally where I sat, a dark figure stood and walked towards me, a large shadow in my blurred vision. I shrieked and fell over, clawing at the ground, my limbs no longer able to support me.

"Calm down," a deep man's voice said softly over the falling rain, "I'm not going to hurt you."

I looked up in surprise. It wasn't Tucker. It was a large man with broad features and a strong jaw, his body wide and muscled. Under a shock of white hair was a tanned face obscured with sunglasses. Even through my blurred vision, I could see a dark red, ropy scar that fell over his brow and cheeks in the shape of an X. He reached towards me with a large hand and I cringed with a small sound of distress. He paused, his hand outstretched. "What happened to you, little one," he said in his deep voice, void of deflection. I shook my head wordlessly, still beyond the capability of speech. He grabbed my hand, disregarding my startled yelp, and inspected my wound. At his touch, a glowing red light lit up the ally, though I could not see its source. The scarred man pulled back in surprise, but did not let go of me.

"What are you?" He frowned deeply. "You poor creature. Alchemists did this to you, didn't they? Don't worry. I will relieve you of your pain." He brushed my soaked hair aside and gently placed his hand on my cheek, like the touch of a lover. Comforted by his soft voice and touch, I relaxed slightly and tears fell down my face, mixing with the rain. I closed my eyes.

FMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMAFMA

"Hehehe," Edward giggled to himself again. Ahem. Laughed in a manly way. A huge grin was plastered on his fair features from ear to ear. Edward and Alphonse were walking back to the Tucker Estate after the exam ceremonies were completed.

"Ed, you're doing it again," Alphonse sighed, clanking along beside his exuberant brother. Still, happiness like he had not felt in a long time reverberated in his soul, and if he had a body, his heart would have been racing in excitement.

"I can't help it Al! I'm just so awesome!" The exuberant young man pulled a gleaming silver pocket watch out of his red coat and began spinning it arrogantly, its smooth metal glowing softly in the overcast sky.

He had done it: he had passed the exam. After he had walked into the building, he was escorted to a dark room. There were several people there, sitting behind a long table and in the center of the room had been a chair. He had had to give his reasoning for wanting to become a State Alchemist. It was pretty intimidating, and he found out later that the man interviewing him had actually been the Furer himself! But somehow, he had pulled it off.

The demonstration had been where he had really impressed everyone. There had been several other Alchemists there, and they were given raw materials of wood, ice, water and earth to work with. At first, Edward had been nervous. How was he supposed to impress them? The first Alchemist up created a huge tower, a graceful beam that shot up into the sky. The second had taken a couple of trees and a splash of water to create a hydrogen blimp. Ed was about to step forward himself, not entirely certain what he would do, when the blimp ran into the tower with a resounding bang, knocking over a part of the architecture. The man who had created the tower was still under it, unable to move after his exhausting transmutation. He screamed in terror.

In an amazing feat, one even Ed had not known he was capable of, the young man snapped his hands together in resounding clap and transmuted the materials into the first thing his mind could conjure: a giant crown of flowers, just like the ones he had made for Nina. Somehow, he had done something he had only ever seen his teacher do: he had performed Alchemy without a transmutation circle.

Later, he found out that the Furer had chosen him on the spot, and the most important man in the country handed him his pocket watch himself with a congratulations and a bracing pat on the shoulder. The next day, Edward would be reporting to Central Command to receive his official rank and Alchemist's Name.

Excitement bubbled up in the young Alchemist's chest and he laughed at the sky. "I. Am. Awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah," his brother ribbed. "Good job, Brother."

The sky rumbled ominously and Edward's smile dropped a little as the scars underneath his automail ports gave a sharp throb with the change of pressure. He rubbed his shoulder irritably. "I can't wait to start research. This automail is killing me."

"At least you can feel pain…" Alphonse mumbled to himself.

Edward looked up at his little brother. "Al…"

"We just have to work really hard. Today we've completed our first step," Al continued, seeming to perk up. After all, it was a time for celebration.

"Yeah." Ed said, his smile returning. "Oh, damn." It started sprinkling and Ed clutched his arm a little tighter. He just knew he was going to regret not taking care of his automail properly that morning. Now water was going to get in his gears and make his ports ache. He hated rain!

"Come on, Al, let's get back. We have to tell Alex and Nina the news!"

"Yeah!" The boys began running as the rain became heavier, every one else on the streets doing the same.

By the time they got to the Tucker Estate, it was pouring. The boys rushed inside the dark entranceway and Ed shook out his long hair. They walked inside.

"Where is everybody," Al asked. Ed looked around. Indeed, the house was dark and it didn't look like any lights were on.

"Alex? Nina?" Ed shouted, "Is anyone home!" Ed's voice echoed off the walls and there was no response. Frowning, he flicked on the hall light. Al gasped in horror.

There was blood everywhere, painted on the walls and dropped on the floor, as if someone had been stumbling around injured. The boys looked at each other before rushing to follow the trail of blood. Ed's heart pounded in his ears as he frantically followed the trail. "Alex! Nina!"

The two Alchemists came to a halt in front of two large doors. It was the entrance to Tuckers lab. With a shaking hand, Alphonse slowly opened the door. Al gasped and Ed's breath hitched.

Inside was…Hell. There was no other word to describe it. Cages littered the sides of the room, dark liquid pooling out of each one on the floor. And in the center was a large transmutation circle, and ominous stain in the middle.

Ed's eyes widened and he began to tremble as images of _that night_ flashed through his mind. The stench of decay and death reached his nose and nausea pooled in his throat.

"B-brother…" Al whispered, his armor clanking in shivers, "this looks like…"

"Human transmutation…" Ed said in horror. He rushed inside, frantically searching for…for…

"Alex, Nina, Tucker!" Ed shuddered to a halt. He collapsed on his knees beside the body of Shou Tucker. "What–" Shou's body was pierced through violently and his eyes were open wide in an expression of surprise. Ed lifted his hand, but could not bring himself to touch the clearly dead man.

"Ed, get over here now!" Al shouted from the other side of the room. Ed's head snapped around to see Alphonse crouching beside a cage. Ed rushed over, desperately hoping beyond hope–

Nina sat inside, clutching the white corpse of Alexander in a pool of blood. Her eyes were wide open with tears streaming down, and it didn't look like she could see them.

"Nina…?" Ed whispered in a halting voice. Nina flinched and turned her eyes slowly.

"Ed..ward..Al..phonse…" she gasped. Alphonse immediately opened the cage and the little girl rushed into his arms, crying hysterically. Her tiny hands, stained with blood, painted the front of Al's armor in crimson.

"Shhh, Nina, what happened," Al said gently, trying his best to keep it together for her sake, even though his armor trembled with emotion and fear.

"Da…ddy…he hurt…Alex…and Alex..ander…he won't move….why won't he move!?" The girl sobbed, pressing herself into Al.

Ed leaned forward in alarm. "Nina, what did Tucker do to Alex?" He asked intensely.

"Hurt…hurt…Alex gone…left me here by myself! He left me…"

"Ed, you have to find him," Al said urgently.

"Right!" Ed jumped up on trembling legs and ran forward, shouting over his shoulder, "Take care of Nina and call for help!"

Al gently stood up with Nina in his arms and walked slowly to the door.

"Da…ddy…where's Daddy…he hurt Alex…"

"Shhh, it's going to be ok." Al whispered to the distraught child, shielding her view of her father's corpse. He walked past the carnage and out of the room, closing the door and leaving the dead behind them.

–

Ed followed the blood trail into the hall and out the door into the freezing rain. There was so much blood, and he had no idea how much Alex was injured, or even if he was still alive.

 _Please, no, not Alex, how did this happen, please god no–_

Terror raged though him as he followed the trail of blood being washed away by the rain. He followed it frantically, the trail getting harder and harder to see. All he could think about was Alex's smiling face and cheerful jokes being gone forever.

 _How did I let this happen, this is my fault, my fault, my fault –_

Alex laughing, Alex crying, Alex patting him on the shoulder, _Don't worry, Ed, you can do this,_ how could that be taken away? The stranger who became his friend, someone so dear to him was hurt and bleeding, maybe even dying, _he should have been there_!

"No," he shouted desperately as he finally lost the trail. Ed looked around frantically in the rain soaked streets, looking for some sign of his friend.

 _Alex paused in the doorway to the kitchen. "Thanks guys, I couldn't have asked for better brothers."_

Ed tore down the street blindly, looking down every ally, the visibility frustratingly low because of the rain. There! Alex's green coat, stained with dark red, could be seen in an ally across the street. Ed's heart jumped into his throat. Alex was lying on the ground and a large man crouched over him. The man gripped the boys hand, and Ed could see that it was covered in blood. The man had a hand on Alex's still face.

Rage like he had never felt ripped through Ed's body and he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Get away from my brother!" He slammed his hands together in a resounding clap, and blue light filled the street.

 _Wow guys, that chapter practically wrote itself. Am I possessed? My heart is pounding a little. I don't even know what to say…I think I need to watch a love comedy now or something._

 _Well, there you go, another chapter down. Yes, Nina will survive (I thought you guys might like that). I never intended to have it happen the way it did in the series because I thought their stay with the Sewing-Life Alchemist would be the perfect opportunity to expand on my sub-plot. Next chapter: A battle, a little bit of explaining, and brotherly moments where everyone gets to calm the fuck down for a little while. And that was scar by the way. Duh._

 _Please review! I loved all the responses I got to my last chapter. I got some really great guesses. I won't let anyone know if they got close yet, cause I don't want to ruin the plot for you guys. At the end of the story, please feel free to gloat if you were correct. I love you all! See you next chapter!_


	16. Chapter 16

"Get away from my brother!" Edward snapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground. Blue light flashed and the street contorted as if made of liquid, spitting out cement spikes at the man who was assaulting Alex's limp form.

The scarred man tensed and jumped back, deftly dodging the projectiles. He landed a good distance away and Ed rushed forward to stand over Alex protectively.

"Alex," Ed shouted, not daring to take his eyes off his opponent. "Alex, answer me, damnit!" There was no response, and Ed risked a glance at his fallen companion. He grit his teeth at what he saw.

Alex's clothes were drenched in blood and freezing water, and his face was pale as death. He lay limply on the ground, his wet blond hair falling over his closed eyes. There was no telling how much blood he had lost. Ed lifted his eyes back to his opponent swiftly. He needed this guy gone _now_!

The man stood to his imposing height on the street. Ed held his hands up threateningly, ready to clap at a moments notice. "That creature," he said in a deep voice, "did you make it?"

"He's not a creature!" Ed shouted, enraged, "He's my little brother! You stay away from him!"

Ed's heart pounded in his chest, almost physically painful, as he waited for the man to either attack or leave. The man stared impassively before slowly turning around and beginning to walk away. "My quarrel is not with you. I'm only interested in State Alchemists. But I must warn you: if we meet again, we will be enemies. That creature is an abomination against God, and you will be punished." With that, the man left, his figure disappearing into the rain.

Ed did not waste time pondering the man's words. As soon as he was out of sight, the boy spun around and hastily checked Alex's pulse, hands shaking on Alex's neck. He huffed and gave a small laugh of relief. He was still alive. Ed checked over his body with his trembling hands, trying to find the source of all the blood. It was concentrated at his chest and back, but when he took off Alex's shirt there was no wound. After a minute of frantic searching, Ed spotted Alex's injured hand. He grimaced at the hole that was leaking blood. Taking off his jacket and discarding it on the ground, Edward transmuted his undershirt into bandages and immediately wrapped the wound. It wasn't life threatening, but if he didn't get Alex out of this rain, the cold and lack of blood would kill him.

"Ed…" a weak voice caused Edward to snap his head up. Alex was looking up at him with half open eyes, the usual emerald green a murky shadow.

"Alex! Can you hear me? I'm going to get you out of this rain! Can you stand?" Ed's said urgently.

"Ed…" Alex whispered.

"Don't try to speak," Edward said, pulling Alex into a sitting position. "I'm going to get you out of here." He tried to lift Alex, but the boy suddenly grabbed him with his good hand and clutched onto Ed desperately, pressing his face into Ed's bare chest.

"Ed…I was so scared…so…" Alex broke down into sobs. Eyes softening, Ed gently put his red coat around Alex's shoulder and pulled him close. The boy shivered and heaved as he let out the terror and pain he had experienced now that he finally felt safe. They sat still for several moments as the rain calmed down to a drizzle, and Ed tried to do his best to comfort the distraught boy, and allowed his own heartbeat to slow. He had found Alex, and his life wasn't in immediate danger, and he let just a little bit of tension go. This reminded him strongly of times when he had comforted Al in the same manner when they were younger.

"I know, it's ok now. You're safe." Ed said after a while. "I'm here now. I'll protect you."

"Idiot…" Alex sniffed, pulling back a little, and looking up into Edward's eyes, just a little clearer. "What could a runt like you do…" he said with a sad imitation of his usual smile.

"Wha-" Ed spluttered in mock anger, although he was smiling, "I come all this way to rescue your ass and that's all you have to say."

Alex snorted softly and leaned back into him. "Ed…thanks…"

Ed sighed and ruffled the shivering boy's hair. "Geze, what am I going to do with you." He stood, lifting Alex with him.

A man abruptly rounded the corner and slid to a halt.

"Ed, Alex!" It was Havoc. The blond man quickly turned and shouted over his shoulder. "Hey, they're over here!" He turned back around and rushed forward to help Ed hold Alex up, suspending him between them.

"Ed…I'm tired..." Alex whispered. Ed smiled. "It's ok. You can sleep now." Alex nodded and closed his eyes, going completely limp between the two supporting him.

–

Ed hunched over under the blanket he had been given and stared idly at his arm. It gave a dull throb, long past the state of waterlogged, but he ignored it in favor of his thoughts.

After Havoc had shown up, Alex had passed out in exhaustion. They were quickly swarmed with blue uniforms as the rest of the help Alphonse had contacted arrived at the scene. Alex was taken from Ed's arms and rushed to the hospital. Edward made to follow, but he was stopped by Havoc.

"Not just yet Ed. Mustang is on his way and he needs to talk to you. Don't worry, they'll take care of him." Edward was handed a blue military jacket and a blanket, which he slipped over his bare shoulders. He sat on the wet concrete sidewalk and waited for Mustang to arrive.

It didn't take long. A black car pulled around the corner and stopped in the area the military had quarantined off on the street. Mustang, Hughes and Alphonse all piled out and strode over to the sitting boy. Ed jumped to his feet, turning his attention immediately to his younger brother.

"Al, are you ok? Where's Nina?"

Before Alphonse could respond, Mustang interjected. "Nina is in military custody at the moment." Ed's eyes swung into the dark haired man's direction, but he continued before the boy could say anything. "Now that I have you both here, tell me. What the hell happened back there?"

The two brothers glanced at each other. "When we arrived around late afternoon," Al started, "we discovered the hallway covered in blood. We followed it into Tucker's lab and found Nina. Tucker was already dead."

"Yeah, we saw the lab," Hughes spoke up. "I have my investigations team working on it right now. We should have a clearer picture of what happened tomorrow."

"And then," Mustang pressed.

"Nina told us…" Ed started haltingly, "Nina told us that Tucker 'hurt' Alex. I left Al to take care of Nina and call for backup and went to search for him. When I found him, he was unconscious and a man with a huge scar on his face was kneeling over him. I scared him off and wrapped Alex's wounds. That's when Havoc arrived."

"A man with a huge scar on his face?" Mustang and Hughes exchanged serious glances. Mustang put a heavy hand on Ed's shoulder. "We'll take it from here boys." He began to walk away.

"Mustang," Ed said suddenly. Mustang halted and looked back over his shoulder. "That circle on the floor. It looked like Tucker was trying perform human transmutation."

Mustang regarded Ed over his shoulder with his black eyes before turning around and getting into his car.

Hughes watched Mustang leave with a frown before turning back to the boys and patting both on the shoulder. "Don't worry guys, I have Gracia taking care of Nina at the moment. I'll do my best to help her."

"What's going to happen to her?"

Hughes looked away, expression serious. "I don't know just yet. As of right now, she is a ward of the State until we can find a close relative to take her in."

Ed and Al looked down, accepting this for now. "Can we see her?" Al asked.

"…I don't think that's a good idea just yet. She needs to calm down a bit before she can handle company. She just witnessed something traumatic. Give her some time. I promise to let you know when you can see her."

"Oh…"

"I don't get it," Ed spoke up, brow furrowed. "Why would Tucker try to perform human transmutation? I thought he was trying to make –" Ed's eyes widened and he stopped, his mouth falling open in shock.

"Brother?"

"A talking chimera…" Ed whispered. "Hughes," Ed said urgently. "When did Tucker's wife leave?" Al made a small noise of alarm.

Hughes frowned deeply. "Shit." Without another word he spun on his heel and strode to a car, barking orders to Havoc and the surrounding officers. "Havoc, get the Elric brothers back to base. You three, come with me." The soldiers snapped a solute and the three indicated followed Hughes into the black car and it peeled out, leaving Havoc and the two boys alone.

"Well boys, let's get you back to base." Havoc said, turning. He paused. Edward and Alphonse were staring deeply into each other's eyes, communicating silently. Edward's expression ranged from fear, worry, relief, and back to worry again. Alphonse was impassive, but Havoc could almost imagine he could see the same expressions. Ed slowly placed his hand on Alphonse's armor over the bloodstains still visible on the smooth metal and Al clutched it. Both nodded and as one turned to the last remaining car.

As Havoc drove through the sodden streets, he glanced back at the boys a couple of times, but they silently stared out the windows of the car, the only connection between them Ed's hand, which rested lightly on Alphonse's shoulder plate.

–

Alphonse sat beside Edward impassively in the sterile white room. Havoc, at their insistence, had taken them straight to the hospital to see Alex. He left after extracting a promise that the boys would be ready to leave in the morning. Edward had agreed, but neither brother had any intention to leave until their companion finally opened his eyes.

The boy lay silently on the hospital bed, almost as pale as the sheets that surrounded him. The only sound that could be heard was the heart moniter and his shallow breathing that ghosted in the oxygen mask attached to his face. He had not moved since they arrived, but he doctor said he was only resting. They had given him a blood transfusion shortly after he was rushed there, and an IV dripped softly beside his bed, the needle disappearing under a white bandage on Alex's arm.

"You should get some sleep, brother," Al said quietly over the beeping of the monitor. Ed grunted in denial, his eyes never leaving Alex's still form. Al sighed and looked out the window into the dark night. The brothers had filled in the gaps of what happened for each other. Alphonse told Ed what had happened after he left. He had called for help the moment he had shut the door behind him and waited anxiously. Nina had cried herself to sleep in his arms, and he held her until a soldier took her, promising to take her to the hospital. Al had reluctantly let go, but his common sense had overridden his worry. She would be fine, at least physically. Emotionally…that was another story. If she felt anything like what Alphonse and Edward had felt…and she was so much younger than even they had been. Al could only hope that some day, Nina would forgive them for leaving her alone. It hadn't been their fault, but Al could not help but feel guilt. They should have seen it coming. He knew that that was impossible, he knew that, but guilt was hardly ever rational. He knew Ed felt the same.

Alex as well…they hadn't been there when he needed them the most. He was always so strong and confident in himself that Alphonse sometimes forgot that he needed support just as much as he and his brother did. He looked so weak and small on the hospital bed, and it hurt Al to see him that way.

He knew his brother, and he liked to think that he was getting to know Alex just as well. Despite coming in under horrific circumstances, Al was at least a little glad that Alex had been a result. Alphonse shook his head at himself, the armor of his helmet clanking slightly. Selfish.

"Al," Ed asked, looking over to his brother.

"…When did Alex become so important to us," Al asked quietly. "We almost lost him today, and I felt as if my heart was going to stop." It was true. Even as he clutched little Nina to his chest, he had felt a phantom pain where his heart should have been because Alex was still missing, and he had no idea whether he was still alive. He had been sharing his emotions and experiences with the boy ever since _that_ day, and while sometimes it could be detrimental, it had made the two boys irrevocably close. It wasn't just the fact that Al would have lost his body forever if Alex had died, or even the guilt about pulling Alex into this world in the first place. He would have been devastated if Alex himself had disappeared forever.

"I don't know," Ed said, looking back at their still companion, "but I feel the same. Somehow, when we weren't paying attention, he wormed his way into our regard."

"Even though he's growing taller than you," Al joked, slight humor in his voice.

"Hey!" Ed exclaimed with a petulant frown. "Why even is that anyway? He's supposed to be younger than me!" Al chuckled, and the two boys sat together in companionable silence. Alex would be ok, and so would they. Edward and Alphonse would pull through together, just as they always had, and Alex would be right along with them.

Ed suddenly let out a huge yawn and rubbed his eyes. "Brother, you should get some sleep. I'll watch over him."

Ed stuck out his lower lip in a pout, something he only indulged in around Alphonse. "…Fine. But tell me as soon as he wakes up!"

If Al could roll his eyes, he would have. As it was, he turned his face to the ceiling in exasperation. "Come on, Brother, you know I will."

Ed glared suspiciously before shrugging. He pulled his chair up against Al's and leaned back onto him, folding his arms over his chest and closing his eyes. In that moment, Al felt as if he could almost feel what Ed was feeling, and he felt comforted by his closeness. Alphonse turned back to Alex's bed and sat in a silent vigil until morning as his brother snored softly beside him.

 _There, now everyone is on the same page, both in what happened (Ed figured it out, the little genius), and how they feel towards each other. Feels. I hope you are all covered in fluff right now. Also, I hope it's somewhat realistic. Is chapter 15 too early for them to start to care about each other? And I hope it's not too OOC, since from what I watched in the episodes, both brothers are jaded, but they care easily and deeply about those that actually matter to them._

 _Man, I am so frustrated! My site has been down for, like, four days and it finally came back yesterday. My counter is working again now, though I know I've probably missed at least five hundred views in the past week. Now I'm back to checking it obsessively. Maybe it's not such a good thing…But it still gives me warm fuzzies every time someone checks out my story, so thank you all for reading and supporting me!_

 _Not much from Alex this chapter, but I thought it was about time I gave Ed and Al a little love, since they are just as important to the story as Alex is. I'll only write Alex in the first person though, since I don't want this story to get too confusing. Next Chapter: Alex wakes, and the boys head off on their first mission._

 _Please review and let me know what you think. If you find any inconsistencies in my story, let me know so I can fix it. I really should get a beta at some point… Send me your love! It keeps me going in this cruel hard world!_


	17. Chapter 17

The bench I sat on vibrated as the train traveled across the countryside. It was early in the evening and the sun cast an orange glow on everything its waning light touched, giving the nostalgic feeling of another day passed. I looked out the window at the passing farmland, my head resting on my hand against the window. My other hand was wrapped tightly in bandages and set in a sling over my chest. At every shiver the train made, the wrapped limb ached, making me feel slightly miserable.

Alphonse sat across from myself and Edward, and we were all silent in the otherwise empty train car. "It's like we have our very own private car," Al said, trying to break the awkward silence. I had not spoken much during the journey to the station, and Ed was equally as silent beside me. It appeared that he was looking internally, seriously contemplating something. I was just sulking. Still, Alphonse gave a valiant effort to drag us into conversation. "You know, I like traveling by train. It's fun to watch the countryside fly by–"

"Al," Ed interrupted his younger brother. "I have to do this now that the State has me collard, but you don't have to be here. Neither of you," he said, glancing in my direction as well. He was referring to his first mission issued to him by Mustang. He was to go inspect a mine in the small town of Youswell, the last town to the East. Apparently, that was a normal task for State Alchemists, since they all by principle had intimate knowledge of minerals. It was no big task for one such as Edward, and he said that Mustang had given it to him as an easy first mission to start out with as the newly dubbed 'Fullmental Alchemist', his new name given to him by the State.

"We're brothers," Al responded, "If we don't help each other, no one will. Those were your words, remember?"

Edward smiled slightly. "Right." He looked over to me, but I avoided his eyes. He frowned but did not say anything further.

My relationship with the brothers had been a bit…awkward since I woke up after Tucker had attacked me. It wasn't as if I was purposely trying to avoid them, it was just…

I woke in the hospital two days after the Tucker Incident, as I labeled it in my head. I had been dreaming of running through the dark, terrified of something that was chasing me. Grotesque animals snapped at my feet and growled out warnings as I ran past, but no matter how hard I tried, I was running as if through molasses in that frustrating way of dreams. Just as I rounded a corner, I was stopped by a menacing figure that loomed before me shrouded in shadow. He moved into the light, and I was faced with the form of Shou Tucker, but I could only see his soulless eyes. I sat up with a scream.

"Whoa, kid, calm down, your safe," a man's voice soothed. I breathed harshly as my eyes blurred into focus. The room I was in was painfully white and monitors beeped annoyingly in my ears. My arm was attached to an IV that dripped slowly at my bedside and my hand was wrapped tightly in gauze. I looked over at the man who had spoken and was surprised to find Havoc sitting at my bedside.

"Havoc…?"

"You are in Central Hospital. You've been asleep for two days."

I rested my head in my good hand, pushing back the memories of my dream and what had happened that night. "What happened after I…" I paused. My throat was really dry. Havoc handed me a cup of water and started explaining.

"After you ran off, Ed and Al returned to the Tucker Estate to find the man dead, his daughter trapped in a cage, and you missing. Edward went after you while Alphonse called Mustang for backup. When we got there, you were barely conscious. We transported you to the hospital immediately, and they had to perform surgery on your hand and give you a blood transfusion."

Oh God. I put my good hand over my face and bit my lip till I could taste blood. Nina. I had totally and completely forgotten about her. I left her in that godforsaken place alone.

Havoc answered my unspoken question quickly, catching the expression on my face. "Tucker's daughter was not harmed when we found her. She was taken in by the State until we can find her someplace to stay." Havoc looked at me seriously. "She will be fine. She's staying with Hughes at the moment, and she has been asking after you constantly. You can see her once you are released."

Slowly, I nodded and let my hand fall from my face. Poor little Nina. I really hoped the new orphan could forgive me for what I had done to her. I might have been terrified, but I left her alone to face that strange woman without any protection. But at least she hadn't been killed. She would live to see adulthood.

"What about my hand? Will I recover?" Phantom pain raced through my arm as I remembered the feeling of the knife tearing through my flesh. I had never experienced anything so painful and terrifying in my life. It was numbed now by strong medications no doubt, but the drugs did not block the memory. It had all almost ended for me. I would have been fused with that thing, and then…I shook aside the thought.

"You should be fine. Tucker was a lunatic, but he knew his stuff. The most you will have to suffer with is some slight nerve damage, but that should go away after about six months. You should be healed in about a few weeks."

I nodded, somewhat relieved. But still, something Tucker said nagged at the back of my mind. "Did the doctor say anything about…" I stopped myself. Tucker had said I wasn't human, but a creature that was the result of a human transmutation. Did that mean my anatomy was different from the humans of this world? A doctor would surely notice if that was the case. Like, I wouldn't be able to get a blood transfusion or something. I wanted to know, but…no, I didn't think I actually did. The thought that I might not even be human was deeply unsettling. "Never mind."

Havoc gave me a knowing look that I could not decipher. I avoided his gaze and swiftly changed the subject. "What about Ed, did he pass?" That's right. That was the whole reason we were in Central in the first place. With all that had happened, I had totally forgotten about the Exam. To pass the Exam and get our bodies back: that was what mattered.

Havoc gave me a charming grin. "Naturally. The kid blew everyone away."

I chuckled weakly. "That sounds like Ed."

Mustang chose that moment to enter the room, his handsome face serious. Havoc stood to solute him, but Mustang waved him aside and jerked his head towards the door. Before Havoc left, he placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a comforting smile. He left me alone with the Colonel.

Mustang looked over to me with his black eyes, and I avoided his gaze. He sighed and filled Havoc's vacant chair. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged, and then shook my head. I had no idea. "Numb."

Mustang snorted slightly. "That would be the drugs talking."

"Damn good stuff," I mumbled. Mustang's face turned grave.

"I need you to tell me what happened." I glanced over to the man thoughtfully. He was looking at me seriously, his arms resting on his legs and leaning forward. I wondered vaguely if I would have enjoyed his attentions at any other time. But right now…

"I don't want to talk about it." And I really didn't. Who would want to bring up such painful memories? It was too soon.

"It's somewhat important that we have the whole story," Mustang continued without missing a beat. "You were the only one there that really understood what was going on."

I shook my head and Mustang crossed his fingers in front of his face. "Fine, let me give you another reason. The higher ups have taken an interest in you because of this incident and whom you are related to. I've managed to stave them off so far, but unless I know what really happened, I can't give them a believable story. Do you really want them snooping around you and your brothers?"

I shot him a look out of the corner of my eye, furious. "Is that a threat?" I gritted out.

"A warning," he shot back. "The military doesn't give a damn about who it has to step over to get what it wants. Let me help you."

I frowned deeply in thought. I did not trust him. Still…he had a point. If the military was interested in me, then they could find out what Al and I really were, and that would be horrific. Slowly, I began to tell him my story, trusting for now that he would keep his word. I told him everything, but I left out what Tucker had told me. That I would keep to myself for now.

When I finished, Mustang finally spoke. "Why was Tucker interested in you in particular? You said he was going to use Nina."

"I don't know," I lied. "I guess I was just convenient."

"More convenient than a helpless child? I've seen you fight. You would have been a risk."

I flinched, but did not answer, and turned my head away. Mustang stood after a moment of uncomfortable staring. "We will look into who the woman was that interfered, as well as the man you met in the ally." He paused in the doorway and gave me an inscrutable look. "Get well." He left. I did not watch him leave. His gaze was unsettling, as if he knew more than he was letting on. I just couldn't tell what that man was thinking, and that scared me.

I was released that afternoon. Ed and Al were there to pick me up. I was greeted with a wide smile from Edward and a happy aura from Al. "You are finally awake! We were thinking you'd be a vegetable forever."

"Nah," I snarked back. "I just needed a kiss from a handsome prince to wake me."

"Oh," Ed said, narrowing his eyes, "and just who gave you this kiss of life hm?"

I placed my good hand on my face and took on a dreamy expression. "Oh, someone you know, someone really handsome."

"Pft." Ed snorted at my dreamy expression. "I hope you aren't talking about Havoc."

I wrapped my unbound arm around my torso and tilted my head up absurdly. "Oh Havoc!" The boys chuckled at my antics. Edward placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's good to have you back."

"We were worried about you," Al said. He pulled something out from behind his back. It was my green coat. My eyes widened in surprise. I thought it had been destroyed. "I saved it before they could throw it out. I fixed it with Alchemy," Al said, handing it over. I took it from him with a slight smile, careful not to touch him. I pulled it on, feeling a sense of welcoming normalcy wash over me. Well, as normal as my life could be right now.

Al stepped forward and tried to brush his hand over my covered arm to establish our connection, a habit we had formed, but I flinched back. Al's hand hung in the air, and he looked hurt. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I just…"

"It's ok," Al said, dropping his hand. "I understand."

"Thanks Al," I smiled gratefully.

After that, Ed received his first mission from Mustang. We had to leave for the small town of Youswell. I was a little grateful that I did not have to face Nina just yet. I don't think I could have handled it. I was absurdly weak at the moment, and it frustrated me.

Night fell, and the train rattled on beneath us. Edward was softly snoring from the booth on the other side of the aisle where he had moved so he could lay down on the bench. We would be arriving at Youswell the evening of the next day. My body ached just thinking about it. These benches were ridiculously hard.

"Are you in pain?" Alphonse stared at me from the opposite bench, his armor glowing slightly in the moonlight. I glanced over at him and shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I had not told Ed and Al what happened that night. Mustang had forced me to talk, but I still would rather not think about it at all. Everything Tucker had told me weighed heavily on my mind, and I knew I needed to tell the brothers, but just not yet. I shook my head and Al sighed. "I'm here when you are ready to talk."

I smiled softly at the moon. "I know."

0–0–0

"There it is!" Al exclaimed. Sure enough, a small town in the distance finally revealed itself over the rolling hills of the countryside. Edward and I gave simultaneous groans of relief. Finally! I didn't know what was going to kill me first, the boredom or the hard train bench. Ed stood up and stretched, rubbing his own sore bottom.

"About time," he exclaimed. "I don't think I'm ever going to like traveling by train." We got off the train in the late afternoon and got our first good look at Youswell.

In short, we weren't impressed. "Gese, I thought this was supposed to be a coal mining town, not a ghost town," Ed grouched. The streets were nearly empty in the waning afternoon, and those that were around were sitting on the dirt roads between the houses forlornly. The town was filled with old buildings that looked like they had not been maintained in a long while, and the people looked just as run down. I could almost imagine a ball of tumbleweed bouncing down the silent road.

"They must be going through a rough time," I suggested. "Maybe the coal mine has run out, and that's why we've been sent to inspect it."

"Yeah, maybe," Ed said, looking around in disappointment. He had been looking forward to a nice warm bed after spending the night on that rough train. "Let's just get this over with quickly so we can move on –"

Ed was interrupted as a beam of wood hit him on the back of the head. He stumbled forward with a surprised grunt and I quickly stepped back as the young man who had been carrying the large piece of wood spun around, nearly beaning me as well. "Oh, sorry," a young boy about our age with short brown hair and bright eyes apologized carelessly. "Oh, wait are you tourists?" He suddenly bent down into Ed's face with a bright expression. Ed leaned back in surprise, his hand still massaging the back of his head. "Are you here to visit? Do you have a place to stay?"

"Hell of a welcoming committee," Ed grumbled irritably.

The kid stood up and waved to a large man across the street. "Dad, look! Big spenders!"

"Big spenders," Al asked, bewildered.

"Hey, what do you know!" the man the boy had addressed took off a mining helmet. He was built, his body cut into hard lines of a man used to hard labor. "My name is Holling, and I own the local inn around here. We'll take good care of ya."

We all glanced at each other uncertainly, but followed the two exuberant men into town.

The inn was situated at the edge of the mining village. It was a small establishment of two stories and the first floor consisted of a bar and a dining area. It was building was made entirely of wood, and it reminded me pleasantly of the Plaid Skirt. The bar area was filled with a group of large men, probably miners, who all raised their glasses of ale to us in welcome.

"Hey, it's been a long time since we've had tourists," one man shouted exuberantly. I had to wonder just how boring this small town had to be if our arrival was the most interesting thing that had happened to these people in a while.

"So, what do you think?" Holling asked, carrying two glasses of ale. "It's not much, but since the mine's wages are so low, this little place helps us keep two irons in the fire."

"So that will be a room for three for a night," a homely looking lass asked us. Alphonse nodded. "And what are your rates?"

Holling gave us a devious grin. "Well, it ain't cheap."

Ed scoffed. "Don't worry, we can handle it. Despite our appearances, we actually have plenty of cash."

"Three hundred thousand," Hollings said, holding up three fingers.

Our jaws dropped. "What," Ed shouted, "are you going to put gold bars on our pillows or something?!"

"Seriously, are we staying at an inn or buying a car!" I shouted.

"Well boys, this is the best inn in town," Holling said, putting his hands on his hips playfully.

"Not to mention the only inn," his son said, mirroring his pose. "We don't get tourists too often, so we have to milk you guys for all you are worth!"

We sidled over to the corner, and Ed pulled out his wallet. There were a few hundred bills in it but it wasn't nearly enough. Ed groaned. "Damnit, we spent all of our money shopping with Winry. This won't even cover half!"

"Wait, Winry came by?"

"Yeah, while you were still asleep," Al said. I pouted. It had been a really long time since I had seen her and she comes by when I'm sleeping! How inconsiderate.

"Well," Ed said, slipping his wallet into his pocket, "I guess it's time for plan B."

0–0–0

A flash of light filled the room as Edward fixed a tool one of the miners had brought him across the way. I was behind the bar with a crowd of my own admirers as I made them all my specialty drinks, courtesy of my job at the Plaid Skirt.

"Ahaha, who's next," Ed shouted from across the room. I shook my head at his antics and concentrated on my own payment. The selection of liquors was slim, but they had plenty of other ingredients around to add to my recipes.

"Wow," a man in front of me gulped a drink I had made for him in appreciation; "I haven't had a drink this good in ages!"

I flipped my hair over my shoulder arrogantly and continued to deftly make drinks with my one good hand. I was lucky the one that had been injured was my left, because otherwise I would have been useless. "Of course! I learned from the best."

Another man to my right groaned in delight. "These are amazing. What do we have to do to get you to live here forever?"

"Sorry," I winked playfully, "you're not my type." The man spluttered his friends guffawed and slapped him on the back.

Something slammed on the other side of the room, making me jump and almost drop the knife I was using to slice up some olives. The room became dead silent, the drop in sound startling after listening to the rowdy atmosphere for a while. Everyone turned around to see Ed backing up slightly from Holling, who had his hands down on the table firmly and glared at Ed fiercely. "Did you say inspection? Are you with the State?"

"Well, yeah, I'm a State Alchemist. Pretty cool right?" Ed chuckled nervously. Holling apparently didn't think that was funny, because he grabbed Edward by the scruff of his neck and threw the protesting blond out of the inn.

"We don't serve your kind here!" He shouted as he threw Ed's suitcase after him and slammed the door in his face, cutting off Ed's curse.

The large man shot Al and me a look, and I tensed as suddenly hostile gazes were directed at us. "What about you two, are you with the State as well?" Hesitantly, Al and I glanced at each other before shaking our heads. Holling nodded and stormed out of the room in anger. After a moment of tense silence, everyone around us relaxed and continued their conversations, although the atmosphere was slightly more subdued than before.

I leaned forward and grabbed the attention of the men sitting in front of me. "Why does Holling hate the military so much?" I asked.

"Everyone around here does," the large man said gruffly. "The military is the reason this town is in such dire straights. The man in charge of this sector, Yoki, is a greedy son of a bitch who lowered our wages and raised the taxes so high none of us could possibly pay it. No one in the military cares about anyone but their own damn selves." He stared at his empty glass gravely before suddenly perking up. "So, tell us about this master of yours who taught you how to make such good drinks." He held up his empty glass in demands of another, and everyone else was suddenly crowded in, waiting for my answer. I chuckled nervously and obliged. I shot a glance at the door every once in a while in worry for Ed. It looked like this wouldn't be such an easy mission after all.

 _Hi guys! Here's the next chapter for all you lovely readers out there, just like I promised. We are finally past most of the angsty stuff from the last story arc, so hopefully we can get some action before it gets all dark again. And yup, Alex has still not talked to the boys about what happened, but he'll get around to it. I wanted to get this story moving a bit before I had to stop and do a bunch of explaining again. It'll get cleared up soon before they get to Liore. We won't see Nina for a while, but don't worry, she'll be fine._

 _Please review, my lovelies! I worked really hard on this chapter and I deserve some cookies! Next chapter: Alex and Al have their first fight, and a bunch of sleazy bribing goes down. See you next time!_


	18. Chapter 18

The night continued, and it wasn't long before then men I was entertaining became boisterous with drink. I handled their attentions and demands with grace, as I had every day at the Plaid Skirt for a year, making their requests and taking their coin for the grateful barmaid. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to pay my and Alphonse's room and board. It reminded me strongly of my time with my master, almost an entire year ago. I wondered how he was doing. I hoped he wasn't giving Tanya and the other barmaids too much trouble, that perverted old man. I should give him a call when I had a moment after this mission.

Al sat on the other side of the dining area from me, speaking with Holling and his son. I noticed that they had given him a plate of food, which he had not touched for obvious reasons. Usually Al would have to pretend to eat to keep up appearances, but this time he did not touch it at all. Maybe he was saving it for Ed, who had been thrown out before he had gotten a chance to eat. Poor kid must be starving, I thought guiltily. Maybe we should have gone after him. I looked through the cabinets behind the bar, looking for some fresh ingredients. I pulled out what looked like some blood oranges. Huh, that gave me an idea. I grabbed a few and added them to the other ingredients I had gathered.

"Ok, everyone," I shouted, gaining the attention of the majority of the bar's patrons, "I've got a special treat for you. I call this drink the Bloody Hell, and it's my own recipe like nothing you've ever tasted in this land!" And it wouldn't be like anything they had ever tasted, because it took a true American to come up with such a crazy recipe. Party on. I began juicing the oranges with a juicer jammed between the bar and the wall, compensating for my lack of limb. Luckily, there was plenty of beer around, because that was the main ingredient for what I had in mind. That, and jalapenos. Oh yes. I glanced around discretely to make sure I had everyone's attention, and it looked like I was succeeding for the most part. I waved at Al, and the boy seemed to catch my drift. He grabbed his plate of food before quietly slipping out the door, unnoticed.

A handsome man shouldered his way to the bar and leaned against the counter, grabbing my attention. He was a blond with bright blue eyes, like the majority of the people I had encountered in Amestris. He leaned over the bar like the other patrons and watched in fascination as I sliced jalapenos and added it to my concoction in the large mixer. "Just who do you think is going to drink that thing," he asked in a low disbelieving tone. The other patrons nodded in agreement, a little disturbed by my recipe. I began to shake the drink with a flourish and gave a mischievous grin.

"Only the bravest of men can handle this drink," I teased. I took out a tumbler and poured my bright red concoction over a large ice cube. At my challenging look, the young man squared his shoulders and took the proffered drink. The men around us gaped in anticipation as the blond brought the drink to his lips. He flinched slightly at the smell before steeling himself taking a large gulp. I winced. Maybe I should have warned him. Immediately, his face turned bright red, and he began hacking as the men around him guffawed loudly, boisterously slapping the youth on the back.

I clapped my hands together. "Right, anyone else want a taste?" Everyone put their hands up and nervously shook their heads, although many still shook with laughter. I shrugged and poured myself a shot in my own tumbler. I took a sip of the drink, like you are supposed to, and let the tingling flavor wash over my tongue, to the exclamations of the men around me. I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat up at the familiar spice. I used to drink these all the time back in my other life, and although it tasted a little different in the body I was in now, it still felt the same. At my pleasured expression, the patrons gaped at me in disbelief. They glanced at each other before they started loudly demanding a glass. I chuckle and complied, amusing myself by watching their expressions as they tried the drink for the first time. Swiftly, the pile of money I was collecting grew. Should be just enough to cover our expenses, I thought smugly.

I took another sip and sighed in contentment. Man, I had missed having a good drink. Orkan had never let me have any, the old bastard. The young man from earlier suddenly grabbed my hand pulling me out of my thoughts. He leaned forward over the bar, a charming grin on his face. "You're an impressive one aren't you?"

"Nah, I've just been a bartender before, that's all," I said back smoothly, although I had a blush on my face. Because of the drink, not because he was good looking and clutching my hand. Obviously.

"You know, you said earlier that you wouldn't stick around because that man wasn't your type. So tell me, what is your type?" He hooded his eyes and leaned forward, and I blushed hotly. Was he…coming on to me? I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out.

"Um…" I mumbled, not sure just what to say.

"Because you know…" he pulled me forward and whispered in my ear. My heart started pounding as he got closer. I could feel the heat from his face and his gold hair showed brightly in the subdued light. The closer this guy got, the more attractive he became. He leaned to the side suddenly and pointed across the bar where a pretty young lady sat. "My sister is available!" He shouted exuberantly.

My jaw dropped open in shock and my head smacked on the bar dramatically as I slumped forward. I sighed in disappointment. Of _course_ he was going to introduce me to his sister. I'm a guy now. All of my energy drained out of me and my inner voice cried out in annoyance.

"Big brother," the girl sitting across the way screamed, an angry blush on her face, "stop trying to marry me off to every random guy you find impressive!"

"But I can't help it!" The older brother, who was still clutching my hand, wheedled back, "that farm boy you like just isn't good enough! You should marry someone I approve of!" I furrowed my brow in annoyance, trying to yank my hand back. There wasn't enough alcohol on the planet to deal with this nonsense.

The girl stood up and smacked the guys grip on my hand away before dragging her brother out of the room, yelling all the while. The other customers chuckled as if this was a daily occurrence before going back to their conversations. I threw back the rest of my drink with a slight gag at the taste and slumped back on the bar, my good humor gone. The patrons continued to chat around me, but I ignored them as I sulked.

A man slapped me on the back and laughed drunkenly. "Don't worry, boy. A good lookin' kid like you is sure to get plenty of women chasing him in his life!"

"Erm, no…that's not…" I tried, but gave up before I finished. What was I supposed to say? That I wasn't interested in girls? _That_ would fly over well.

The man beside me suddenly tensed and grabbed my shoulder roughly. "Hey, what–" I protested, but then I noticed that everyone in the bar had become deathly silent. Tension hung in the air and the previously boisterous miners now wore stony expressions.

A group of men stood in the center of the inn, all wearing military blues. Two of them were large and burly, as fit as the miners around me. The one in front was a lanky fellow with a balding head and a sour expression. He covered his face with a handkerchief and looked down on the patrons haughtily.

"Holling, your inn is delightfully filthy as always," the lead man said with a wheedling high voice. His words dripped with contempt and malice, and I took an instant dislike to him. "It seems like the rumors of this place being a gathering spot for thugs and ruffians was true."

Holling glared menacingly at the arrogant man and I could almost hear him grinding his teeth from some yards away. "Lieutenant Yoki," he growled, "you should cover your face more often. It's a good look for you."

"Enough small talk," the man snapped. "I'm here to collect the taxes on this place. You are late. In fact, I could say the same for all of the people of this town." I could feel the people in close proximity to me tense further, and the man who was holding me tightened his grip.

"Our wages are too low to pay the taxes, sir," Holling gritted out.

"You are paid so little because that's what you men are worth," one of the men behind Yoki, a tall man with short cropped black hair and grey eyes, stated coldly.

"What!" A man beside Holling stood and banged his hands on a table angrily. "You can't just lower our wages and raise the taxes and still expect us to –" He was cut off rudely by the other of Yoki's guards, an older guy with a bald head and a hard expression.

"The State has given Lieutenant Yoki full authority over this mine. You would do well to learn your place," he interrupted in a clipped tone, crossing his considerable arms.

Another man shouted angrily from the crowd. "He only got to where he is by taking all the money we sweat and bled for and using it to bribe the higher ups!"

Yoki laughed mockingly. "If you've got it all figured out, then maybe you should try bribing me?" I grit my teeth in anger and reached for a tonfa behind my back. This guy was really starting to get on my last nerve. If this was what these people had to deal with on a daily basis, then I completely understood why they hated the military so much. "But don't blame me," Yoki continued haughtily, "Because you have to grease the wheels. It's the way of the world."

Anger at this contemptuous man rose within me and I grabbed ahold of my weapon, but someone else beat me to the punch. Kyle, Holling's son, yelled out in fury and threw a glass at Yoki's smug face. In a blur of motion, the black haired man behind Yoki pulled out a sword and the glass shattered off the flat of his blade. Yoki's expression, if it was possible got even more smug. "Don't kill him Barret, we just want to make an example of him."

"Yes sir," Barret grunted, walking menacingly forward. I tried to jump over the bar, but the patrons in front of me, who had closed ranks when the man had drawn his weapon, blocked me. The man holding onto me held me back, and I tried vainly to shake his grip.

Kyle stumbled back in fear with a cry and fell.

"Kyle, no!" Holling rushed forward, only to be brutally put down by the other guard. Kyle's mother screamed out in distress as Berret lifted the sword above the trembling boy, and the rest of the patrons stood aside in shock.

He brought the blade down, only to be blocked with a loud clang. Edward, who had followed the men into the bar without any notice, held his automail arm above his head, holding the sword in place. I relaxed back cautiously, content to watch now that the danger was passed.

"Who the hell are you," Yoki shouted angrily.

Edward pushed the large man back, and he backed off without a fight. Ed stuffed his hands in his pockets. "When I heard the Lieutenant would be dropping in, I thought I would come by and say hello." The blond pulled his out silver pocket watch and grinned arrogantly.

Yoki's jaw dropped. "State Alchemist," he whispered. "Emest, let him up." Yoki snapped at his other guard, who was still pinning Holling to the floor. The man let Holling up and both the burly guards snapped a salute to Ed. Yoki plastered on a sleazy smile and folded his hands together. "Please forgive my men, they tend to get a little overzealous at times when it comes to their duties. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Ed lifted his brow. "I'm just here to do a little inspection," he said casually.

"An inspection? Marvelous. Please, I would be delighted to invite you to my mansion for the duration of your stay. I hope you haven't had too much trouble with these riff-raff."

Yoki gestured towards the door and Edward walked out ahead of him, Yoki and his guards falling into step behind him. Berret slammed the door behind them, and the occupants of the room slowly relaxed.

"Those dogs," the man holding me back spat. He patted me on the shoulder and finally let go. I rubbed my arm for circulation.

"So that was Yoki," I said to myself. I wished Edward all the best of luck. I had no inclination to follow him out of the inn. The night was slowing down, since everyone appeared to have lost their good moods due to the military's arrival, and I was no longer needed behind the bar. I spotted Al on the other side of the room and sidled over. "Well, that was a huge load of drama," I said, leaning against the wall next to the suit of armor.

"Yeah," Al said. "I feel sorry for these people, having to put up with someone like him. The military is supposed to protect people, not extort them."

I shrugged, agreeing. "I think this town is just a little too out of the way, and no one is really paying attention to what is going on out here. It could just be that no one in Central Command has noticed."

"Maybe," Al said doubtfully. "Do you think brother will be ok?"

"I'm sure Ed can handle it. He's got more brains in his little finger than Yoki has in his whole body." I pushed off the wall. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'm beat."

o-0-o

The room we were given was a small, only containing two twin sized beds and a desk. I dropped my bag containing my travel gear at the foot of one of the beds and threw open the window, leaning against it and breathing in the night air. I was exhausted mentally and physically, from all that had happened. It felt like I hadn't caught a break since before…Well, the constant movement was taking its toll. I shuffled over to the desk, which had a small washbasin on it, and gingerly began to unbind my hand. I winced at what I found. The flesh around the stitches was red and inflamed, swelled a bit grotesquely. At least it did not look infected after all I had put it through in the last couple of days, although it ached horribly.

Alphonse clanked up behind me. "Here, let me help." He extended his hand, but I shied away from his touch. He pulled back slightly.

"No, it's fine, I've got it," I said stubbornly, struggling to open the pouch containing the medicine I would need to clean the wound. I growled as the seam refused to come apart. I pulled one end with my teeth and yanked viciously, entirely impatient after my long day.

"Alex," Alphonse tried, reaching out to take the pouch. I jerked away from him and shook my head. Unconsciously I tried to move my other hand to help, and pain zinged down my arm, causing me to flinch.

"Alex," Alphonse snapped, his voice ringing loudly through his armor and into the room. Startled, I jumped and dropped the pouch. I looked up at Al with wide eyes, surprised at his sudden outburst. "Quit being an idiot and let me help you," he said, at the end of his patience.

I avoided his eyes. "I can do it, really –"

"No," Alphonse said, "you can't. You can't keep avoiding me forever."

My mouth opened with a ready denial at the tip of my tongue, but it never made it past my lips. I hung my head. He was right of course. I had been avoiding his touch ever since I woke up. But it wasn't like I didn't have a good reason!

"Look," Al said, taking in the stubborn set of my jaw, "I know you've been feeling stressed lately, I get it. But you are hurting yourself by avoiding me." He sighed as my expression did not change. "Just let me take care of your wound. I will not let you hurt yourself over this."

Al extended his and again for my own and irrational anger spiked within me. I grit my teeth but grudgingly admitted to myself that Alphonse had a point. I really couldn't take care of this wound on my own. I extended my hand, feeling like a reprimanded child.

Alphonse took it gently, careful to both suppress his emotions and not to jostle the wound. He flinched slightly at my inner turmoil, but did not comment as he diligently began applying medicine to my wound and rewrapping it. As he was in contact with my skin, I felt all of his concern and worry, and more than a little bit of hurt, and it only made me angrier, even though I couldn't really rationalize why.

"You are in a lot of pain," Al said quietly. I grunted in response. Of course I was, I got stabbed in the hand! Al shook his head, his armor clanking slightly, as if reading my thoughts. "Not just your hand. You're hurting on the inside." He tied off the gauze.

I jerked my hand back as soon as he was finished. "Yes, I get it, you can feel my every emotion. You don't need to broadcast it," hissed defensively.

"Alex," Al said gently, "I don't need to be in contact with you to sense when you are in pain."

For one terrifying moment, I thought Alphonse meant that he could feel my emotions physically even without touching, but then I realized what he meant. It wasn't our strange connection; it was Al's natural empathy. I thought back to the emotions he had broadcasted to me, and my anger drained away, leaving only emptiness. He was just worried about me. I sighed and flopped back onto the bead, ignoring how it squeaked obnoxiously. I threw my arm over my face to hide my eyes, blocking out the dim light.

"I'm sorry, Al," I whispered. "I know I've been kind of a jerk lately. When this mission is over…I'll talk to you then. Just give me a little more time…"

"…Ok," Al said. I could hear him clanking to the other side of the room and back, and I felt him gently pull a blanket over me. "Just remember: Ed and I are here for you. You don't have to bear any of this alone."

I nodded and fell still, allowing myself to relax my tired muscles completely. The last thing I heard before falling asleep was Alphonse clanking to the other bed, preparing to enter his nightly vigil.

o-0-o

Edward glanced around his surroundings with a vague look of interest on his face, although inside he was seething with annoyance. He was in a large dining room in Yoki's mansion, waiting for his meal to be served. The floors and walls of the hall were a smooth white marble and the edges of the windows and the faux columns that decorated the walls were trimmed in gold. The only furniture in the overly spacious room was the long stately table at which he and his host sat, covered in a white tablecloth and various expensive looking tableware.

Yoki sat across from him, a smug expression on his pompous face. Ed remained impassive as the man spouted platitudes and flattery in his direction.

"It's such an honor for me to be hosting a genuine State Alchemist such as yourself in my humble abode." Ed snorted internally, humble his automail foot. "I hope the food is to your liking. I tried to have something prepared that would fit your refined taste."

Ed glanced down as a maid placed a plate in front of him. All it had on it was a small cut of meat slathered in gravy. He held back a grimace of distaste. How was that supposed to fill him up?

"You sure are eating well, considering the economic conditions of the town," Ed commented dryly, not bothering to pick up one of the three forks sitting next to his gold trimmed plate.

"Times are hard for all of us," Yoki stated smoothly, sidestepping the obvious jab. "I tell you, I have had a lot of trouble collecting taxes from those rowdy towns folk." He folded his hands delicately together. "And those miners can be so brutishly obstinate sometimes, as you saw."

"And by obstinate, you mean asserting their rights and refusing to pay more than they earn," Ed drolled, expression neutral.

"See, you get it! I knew you were a man of great understanding!"

"To understand the world you only need to grasp one thing, the concept of Equivalent Exchange, the founding rule of Alchemy. You can't get without giving. Right?" Ed clicked his teeth together at the last 't', his eyes hooded.

"Absolutely, eloquently put. I myself have always conducted business under a similar guiding principle. In the spirit of which…Kyla?" A young maid delicately placed a velvet bag next to Edward's elbow and slid it forward. It clanked as it came to a stop, hinting at its contents. "This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Ed glanced at the bag. "This supposed to be some kind of bribe, Yoki?"

"That is such an ugly word. Let's just call it a gift from me to you. Now," Yoki leaned forward and laced his fingers in front of his face, "about your inspection of the mine."

Ed closed his eyes. "Yeah, I think I catch your drift," he said blandly.

Yoki grinned, pleased. "I just knew we would reach an understanding, you and I. Oh, and I have a feeling the townspeople will start behaving very shortly."

The way the sleazy man said it made Edward's skin crawl, but he accepted his terms for the moment. There was little he could do at that point. He needed to regroup with his brothers, and then he would figure out just what to do about Yoki and his thugs.

After dinner, Ed was led to a spacious bedroom with a four-poster bed and a view of the town below. He washed his face in a water basin placed on a lavishly decorated desk and flopped back on the bed to think on what he had learned. From what he could tell, Yoki had free reign out here in the boonies, with virtually no military supervision. He wondered idly if Yoki had bribed every Alchemist who had come to inspect his mine or if they just hadn't cared about the economical situation of the town. Either way, Yoki had to go. But how? Ed contemplated this for a couple hours before falling into a light doze, tired from the events of the day.

His slumber was interrupted as a violent explosion echoed off the canyons surrounding the town. Ed sat up, startled, and looked out the window. His heart leapt into his throat and he cursed. Down at the edge of town, the inn where his two brothers were staying was on fire.

 _There you go. A little bit of humor, a dash of action, and a sprinkle of angsty sweetness. I hope you guys enjoyed this. Yes, Lyra isn't there. Because reasons. Don't sweat it._ _Man, this chapter was freaking long. My fingers are going to fall off, but I just didn't feel right leaving it without addressing Yoki's bribery. Plus, I don't really like ending too many scenes with people falling asleep. I feel like I do that way to often._

 _Dudes, I saw a FMA story that was just as long as mine, and it had like 230 followers. I was freaking jealous! But then I realized that that story had been out for a year, and mine has only been out for what, a month? I now have a goal to reach 230 followers by the end of its first year(I can dream right?)! But no worries, even if I don't come close, I'll still keep writing. I just think it's fun. That and all your great reviews of course. They give me warm fuzzies. Next Chapter: BOOM! And some other fun stuff. Not sure yet. Thanks for all ya'lls support! See you next time!_


	19. Chapter 19

I dreamed.

 _It was bright in this place, and the trees and grass swayed slowly in the breeze of the warm afternoon. I sat upon a bright blue-checkered blanket and sipped wine as I enjoyed the wind blowing through my loose hair. Before me, two small children played in the glen, one a five-year-old girl with long brown hair, and the other was a small black-haired child no older than two. The smaller one totted around after the older, who appeared to be coaxing the other one to walk._

 _I sighed deeply in contentment, and a voice beckoned me from my side. A black haired man sat beside me, his short locks moving slightly in the breeze. His face was hazy, but I could tell he was very handsome. He brought a gentle hand to my face and brushed my hair aside._

I awoke with a start and lay still, my heart hammering in my chest. I waited silently, trying to determine what had awoken me. Crickets chirped outside the open window and a cool breeze drifted through, making the curtains around the window sway lazily.

"Alphonse," I whispered. I turned my head over to the other side of the room.

"What is it?" Alphonse asked. He sat on the other bed, a book open on his large knee.

"…I dunno, I just –" Another breezed swayed through the room and I sat up in alarm. "Al, I smell smoke." I jumped up off the bed, swaying slightly from vertigo, and rushed towards the window. At first I could not see anything, but the smell was stronger.

On the other side of the room, Alphonse jumped to his feet as well. He opened the door and immediately reared back as black smoke billowed into the room.

"Alphonse!" I shouted, rushing to his side. He pushed his arm out and held me back. Below us outside, people began to shout out in alarm. "Al, we have to get out of here."

"But what about the other people in the inn," he said fretfully.

I cursed, "Al there's no time! If the fire reaches the kegs in the basement, we'll be toast!"

The building creaked dangerously and we heard a scream through the wooden walls, causing us both to jump. "That sounded like Kyle," Al exclaimed. We glanced at each other swiftly and nodded. We plunged into black smoke and ran down the hall.

Immediately, my lungs began to burn and my eyes watered. We could not yet see any flames, but the smoke was hot and acrid on my skin. We hurried down the hall to where we could hear distressed yells. Alphonse kicked down the door in our path, not bothering to open it properly.

The ceiling of the small room we had entered was collapsed in on itself, boards and shingles hanging down and littering the floor. I clenched my teeth in anxiety. If we didn't get out of there soon, the whole building would come down before the kegs could even ignite. I tore my gaze from the hole in the ceiling and scanned the room for the boy. He was there, trapped under a ceiling beam. He looked terrified but unharmed, the beam merely pinning his leg to the floor.

"Come on!" Alphonse moved forward swiftly and began to try and move the large object off of the crying boy. I followed by him closely and grabbed onto Kyle's arm to pull him out. We heaved for several tense minutes as the smoke filled the room and filtered out through the hole in the ceiling and my and Kyle's breathing became labored as we inhaled the poisonous gas.

Finally, the beam moved with a grating crunch, and I pulled Kyle out roughly, the boy tumbling on top of me. We both struggled to our feet and rushed towards the door. Kyle stumbled, and Alphonse picked him up.

"Go ahead! I've got him!" Alphonse threw the boy over his shoulder and I rushed forward, reassured that I could hear Alphonse clanking behind me. We made it to the stairs and I jerked back as hot air and harsh red light nearly blinded me. I squinted down the steps to see the entire first floor was a sea of flames. Pulling my jacket over my face, I rushed down the blistering steps, trying to avoid the fire as best I could, Al following close behind me.

I had never felt such an intense heat in my life, and adrenaline surged through me as I dodged debris and made a mad dash towards the door. Just when I thought we would make it out of this hellish situation unharmed, Alphonse shouted out in alarm behind me. I spun around just in time to see the ceiling of the inn crashing down right between Alphonse and me, cutting off his escape rout. "Al!"

Furniture and wood fell through the ceiling, forcing me back through the open door and into the night air. I fell back and landed hard on my back, the wind knocked out of me. Still, panic gripped me and I tried desperately to regain my footing and get back into the inn with a shout of desperation.

I didn't make it two steps before a hand roughly grabbed me by my jacket collar and yanked me back. A large man held me firmly to his chest and rushed away from the inn as I struggled to escape his grasp. "No!" I had to get back now! Before–

"Alphonse! Al–" I wheezed, before both of us were blown violently off our feet as the inn exploded.

For several seconds, my world was a mass of bright light and sound. I struck the ground harshly several times as a wall of heat and debris slammed into me and I finally came to a violent stop at a wall of an adjacent building, my back slamming harshly into the stone foundation. For a moment, all I could do was curl into myself and wait for the world to stop spinning and my breath to return to my aching lungs. Slowly, I managed to push past the pain and open my eyes to take in my surroundings through the thick smoke. A large man was crouched over me and he was shouting, but I couldn't hear anything he said. He sounded muffled, as if through a long tunnel.

Dazed, I ignored him and pushed him aside, struggling to sit up, my eyes watering from both the pain and the exposure to smoke. Through the haze, I could make out what was left of the inn, and my heart stopped. The damage was devastating. What was once a proud inn now only held a blackened crater of rubble. Fear seized my limbs and I stumbled to my feet.

"Alphonse! ALPHONSE," I wheezed.

I scanned furiously through the still smoldering rubble, only vaguely aware of a crowd of people shouting all around me. _He can't be dead, oh please no–_

"Over here…" a weak voice came from the rubble. I looked over, intense hope surging through me. I let out a huff of relief as planks of blackened wood shifted aside, and Alphonse was revealed. His armor was dented and battered, but otherwise he was unharmed. Below him, held protectively in his large arms, was Kyle, the boy shaking in grief and fear and his face covered in soot and small burns. Holling and a few other men rushed forward, frantically helping the two boys out of the rubble. Holling thanked Alphonse profusely and clutched his crying son to his chest, checking his body for any serious injuries.

Alphonse spotted me and swiftly strode over, the tassel that normally hung off his helmet smoldered to a crisp. I met him half way and scanned him, even as he scanned me.

"Are you ok?"

"Am _I_ ok? You're the one who had a building collapse on him," I shouted angrily. I slumped forward against his chest in relief and allowed our connection to sooth me. I felt his fear and his relief seep through or bond, and my heartbeat slowed back to normal. He was alive and unharmed. "Idiot. Why do you always have to be such a damn hero," I said irritably. Amusement drifted through our link, and I slapped Alphonse's chest in reprimand.

"Heh, sorry," Al said, clearly not sorry at all.

Anguished sobbing interrupted our reunion, and Al and I shifted our attention to the people surrounding the inn. Holling clutched his wife and son to him, both of them crying in distress, as he looked on the ruin of his livelihood and home stoically.

Al and I watched regretfully as the early morning sun rose, feeling helpless. "Who could have done such a thing," Al asked quietly.

"Three guesses who." A voice came from behind us, and we spun around, startled.

"Ed!"

"Brother! Where have you been?"

Edward walked up to stand beside us, his expression grim as he took in the scene. "Yoki was so kind as to put me up for the night."

"So did Yoki do this," I rasped, my throat still a bit sore from the fire. Edward scanned Al and me from head to foot, taking in our bedraggled appearance with a grimace of anger.

"I'll bet my pocket watch on it," he said angrily. "The bastard tried to bribe me last night after we left from the inn. After dinner at his _mansion_ , he told me that he didn't think the townsfolk would be trouble for much longer. I guess this is what he meant."

"You're a State Alchemist, right?" We turned towards Kyle, who was walking to us with slumped shoulders and a desperate expression. My heart went out to the kid.

"You can just make some gold, right? For my dad? You could save us all!"

Edward frowned. "I can't."

"What! Why not! It wouldn't cost you anything!"

"You don't understand," Ed shook his head. "The whole world is Equivalent Exchange. If I just made you gold, I would have to pay the price."

"So what, now we have to bribe you too!" Kyle grabbed onto Ed's shirt roughly, his grief looking childish compared to Ed's serious expression, despite the fact that they were the same age. "And you call yourself an Alchemist!"

Edward gave him a sharp look. "If I did this and got caught, not only would they strip me of my State Certification, they would throw me in jail for the rest of my life! Are you asking me to sacrifice my life for you," he said harshly.

Kyle let him go and backed up as if burned. He looked down in shame. "No," he said quietly. "I guess I can't ask that…"

Edward sighed and said a bit softer, "Look, even if I were to get you the money, it would just be taken away in taxes. Your problem isn't lack of funds. It's Yoki."

"You're right." Holling stepped up behind his son and gripped his shoulders. "It's about time we do something about that swindler." The townsfolk who had gathered in the face of the fire shouted angrily in agreement all around us.

"Whoa, wait a sec," I said in alarm. "You can't just attack a military base, corrupt or not."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Let him take our money until we starve," Holling retorted angrily.

"Just leave it to us," Edward interjected. "This is military business. You guys just stand back and let us handle it."

"You think we are going to entrust our livelihoods in the hands of a couple of kids?"

The blond slipped his State Alchemist's watch out of his pocket, spinning it twice and catching it with a clank in his automail hand. "Do we look like regular kids to you," he said with a roguish grin.

o-0-o

A few hours later, Al and I stood in a large room at the front of Yoki's mansion, waiting for the man to give us an audience. Ed had gone ahead of us, walking through doors as if he owned the place.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" I asked idly, leaning against the hard surface of the objects behind me. They were cold to the touch.

Al shrugged with a clank of his shoulder plates. "Ed came up with it, so either it's going to work, or there is going to be some random explosion that blows us into next week."

I snorted. "Didn't that already happen a couple of hours ago?"

Alphonse fingered the new tassel that Ed had created for him when he had repaired his armor with Alchemy. "Yeah," he giggled.

"Well let's hope that one explosion is enough for one day."

The door to the room was thrown open and Ed leaned against the frame. "Darn, and here we lugged all of this up for nothing." Yoki stood behind him, his jaw dropped unattractively. I grinned at him and waved, leaning against one of the four piles of gold bars that cast a light yellow light throughout the room.

"Buuut if you really say the mine is not for sale, I guess we should just take all this back–"

"D-d-don't be ridiculous," Yoki screeched. He placed his hands together greedily. "Of course the mine is for sale," he said in a wheedling tone. "But, you see, this town was entrusted to me by my superiors. To just give it away for my own personal gain would be a bit…"

Ed waved his hand flippantly. "Don't worry, none of this gold shows up on any of the books. You've got nothing to worry about."

Yoki began to sweat, although his smile never slipped. "Still…"

Edward widened his eyes before frowning and rubbing his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Oh, I know! Why don't you sign a letter stating that you give over all rights to the mine and the surrounding lands over to me, free of charge? Then you can take all of this as an unrelated gift." The blond smiled innocently, and Yoki turned his greedy eyes over to the piles of gold bars, practically drooling.

Al and I walked over and stood at Edwards sides, the three of us exchanging glances and triumphant grins. Too easy.

o-0-o

"But why can't I fight!" Kyle shouted and slammed his hands on the table before him. Holling and a score of miners sat in a darkened room on the edge of town, all bearing serious expressions.

"You know why," Holling grunted. "I almost lost you Kyle. I can't go through that again."

"But what about you?"

"We have to do this son. It's the only way."

"Not quite." All eyes turned through the door, where Edward stood with a shit-eating grin on his face, Alphonse and I a step behind him. "Let's see if I can't turn those frowns upside down."

"What do you want?" Holling spat coldly.

"Come now, is that any way to talk to your new superior, landlord and all around overseer?" Ed said teasingly. Alphonse and I exchanged a glance and I inwardly rolled my eyes, but I allowed Edward to have his fun. We did just do these people a great service after all.

Edward held up a piece of paper for everyone to see. "Is that –"

"That's right, the deed to Youswell," Ed continued in an arrogant tone. "This little piece of paper states that the town, trade routes and all rights to the mine belong to _me_ now." Tension rose in the room, and Ed continued on with a smirk. "However, I've got to be getting on with my busy life of being a State Alchemist, and I don't think this is even worth carrying around with me. It's _so_ heavy."

"Why you! So you're going to sell it for a profit, is that it?"

"That's right," Ed shot, "and it ain't gunna be cheap, I can tell you that. After all, not only is this deed written on high grade parchment, it's got gold leaf trim and comes in a box of finely crushed jade, in a nonchalant, yet luxurious design. Oh yes, this is high grade stuff," He placed his finger on his chin, "I'd say it's at least worth three hundred K."

"Three hundred? For the deed to Youswell?" Holling asked in disbelief.

"You bet! Now that I think about it, a room at the inn for three people is worth three hundred K. Why don't you let my brothers and I stay for the night and we'll call it even?"

Holling smiled, bewildered. "Equivalent Exchange, huh."

"But," Kyle interjected. "Our inn was destroyed."

"Oh," I said, smiling charmingly. "Then what is that over there."

The miners exchanged glances before everyone ran out of the house in a rush. Across the street, where the old inn once sat, now stood a new building, brand new. It looked identical to the old inn, but we had had to bring in all new materials to build it, since there was nothing to be salvaged from the old structure.

"It looks as good as new. It's like magic," Holling whispered under the exclamations of all the men around him.

"So," Edward walked to Holling's side and crossed his arms. "What do you say?"

Holling looked down to the kid beside him, grateful beyond belief at his change in fortune. "Of course Ed."

A loud screeching assaulted our ears as a car slid around the corner and came to an abrupt stop. "Elric!" Yoki jumped out of the car, his guards Barret and Emest a step behind him. "The gold you gave me just up and suddenly turned into coal! What is the meaning of this?"

Edward smiled innocently. "Why, I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"You know exactly what I am talking about you brat! The money you gave me in exchange for the mine!"

Edward's eyes widened, and I held back a laugh. "But it says right here," he pulled out a piece of paper with Yoki's official seal on the bottom, "that you gave me the mine free of charge!"

"Why you…! Th-that contract is invalid. Barret, Emest! Seize that letter!" Yoki pointed imperiously at Edward, and we tensed, but nothing happened. Yoki turned around angrily, only to have his words stuck in his throat. Barret and Emest stared at Yoki coldly, arms crossed over their chests and making no moves to assist him.

"You've lost," Barret said in his monotone voice. "Give it up."

"What," Yoki shouted angrily, "you have to obey me! I outrank you!"

Barret and Emest glanced at each other before turning away as one. "I didn't see anything, did you," Emest asked. "Nope," Barret grunted. The two formidable men walked away, leaving Yoki gaping in disbelief.

Before they got too far, Barret turned his head over his shoulder to regard me and lifted his hand in farewell. I blinked in surprise. That gesture looked just like something Orkan used to always do. I smiled slightly. Maybe those two weren't so bad after all. I waved back in an identical gesture and Edward looked over at me curiously. I shrugged and looked away mysteriously.

Yoki backed away nervously as the miners closed in on him, cracking their knuckles threateningly. "They aren't going to kill him are they," Alphonse asked, a little uncertainly.

"Nah," Holling answered with a devious smile, "they're just going to have some well deserved fun. Now," he clapped his hands together. "I think this is cause for a celebration! Drinks all around!" Everyone cheered around us, and we were ushered into the newly created bar.

We celebrated late into the night, the men surrounding us pushing drinks into our hands and singing exuberantly. Ed pushed the alcohol away with a laugh, while Alphonse did the same shyly beside him. I tried to accept them, but Ed slapped them away from my hands.

"What's the big idea," I pouted.

"You're younger than I am," Ed shouted, "You shouldn't be drinking! Besides, I am not carrying your drunk ass up the stairs later!" Everyone guffawed loudly at my dumbstruck expression and patted me on the back.

I stuck out my lower lip absurdly and crossed my arms. "Fine, have it your way for now." I smiled slightly. "Who wants a Bloody Hell," I shouted, jumping up. The miners raised their glasses with a cheer.

o-0-o

We left Youswell the next morning. I stared thoughtfully out of the train window, watching the countryside fly by as the boys chatted beside me.

"So where are we headed to next," Al asked.

"I just got a call from Mustang before we left. It looks like our next stop is a city called Lior. The colonel said we need to investigate a priest that has just risen in power there. Apparently, he can use Alchemy without having to abide by the law of Equivalent Exchange." Ed said, leaning back against the window lazily.

"Do you think it's true?"

"Nah, probably not. Still, if it's somehow true, his secret might be what we need to get our bodies back. But I'm not going to get too excited just yet. It's probably just a bunch of parlor tricks or second rate Alchemy."

"Oh…"

"Hey guys," I interrupted, looking down at my lap and picking at the bandages that covered my hand. "I have something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Ed asked, glancing over. At my serious expression, both the boys spun around to face me fully.

I looked into their eyes grimly. "I need to tell you what happened that night Tucker tried to turn me into a chimera."

 _There you go guys! You asked and I delivered. I hope you like it! I'm going to bed now..so sleepy..._

 _Next chapter: We learn a bit more about Soul's Directive and Alex's past. Oh and Alex has an unexpected encounter. Thanks to everyone who favorited, reviewed, followed, or just plain read this story all the way through. You guys make it worth it. See you next time!_


	20. Chapter 20

The silence was thick around us as the train traveled over the country lands between cities. I had my leg pulled to my chest, an arm wrapped around it and my forehead resting on my knee. I looked out the window, avoiding my two companions' eyes. I had told them everything that happened and all that Shou Tucker had told me, and the memories were like brands behind my eyes, almost physically painful. Reliving the experience made me feel vulnerable and raw, and I hated it.

Edward sat in front of me, his face turned downward and his golden eyes flickering back and forth rapidly, as if doing swift calculations. He clutched his hands in his lap and he had not moved since I had begun speaking. Similarly, Alphonse was just as unreadable, the large suit of armor seeming to stare off into space. I desperately wanted to brush my hand against him to see what he was feeling, but I was also afraid of what I would find. So I sat and waited for the brothers to speak, tension building in my body as every second passed slowly by.

"Was Tucker right?" I asked eventually, tired of the silence.

Edward did not respond, but Alphonse seemed to snap out of his contemplations and focus on me. "It's hard to say," he said calmly, assuming the voice he would always use when he tried to explain concepts to me. "The transmutation circle is just a tool; equations to identify, disassemble, and redirect energy to reassemble. In order to create something with a form, after understanding a certain composition an Alchemist must be able to visualize the form they are creating, otherwise the transmutation will fail. Circles can be used to a certain extent, such as if I wanted to create a block of ice out of a tub of water. In that case, visualization is not strictly necessary, since I basically want to convert a raw element. However, if I wanted to make that block of ice into an ice swan, I would have to visualize my intent, or I would just end up with another pile of ice."

"Ok, I think I understand," I said slowly. "It's just like an artist creating a sculpture out of copper. He starts with the equation of pure copper and heat, but if he doesn't know what he is going to create, he'll always just have a pile of copper."

"Right," Alphonse continued. "This process is called 'visualization', or 'Soul's Directive', as Tucker called it. Most run-of-the-mill Alchemists are incapable of doing it, just preferring to use Alchemy to convert raw substances such as ice, wind, or fire. In most theories, the visualization stage happens during the understanding stage. You have to hold the image of what you want in your head throughout the entire transmutation, or it may end up being the shapeless materials you were converting."

"Ok…so when Tucker said that Ed's 'Soul's Directive' changed…"

"He probably means that sometime during the deconstruction phase when I disappeared, Ed lost concentration on our mother and instead focused entirely on me."

I furrowed my brow. "That doesn't really make sense though. If he was focusing on you, shouldn't your soul have been taken immediately into the new body instead of mine?"

"Not necessarily," Ed finally spoke up, although he still stared intently at his hands. "What Tucker said might be a good theory on what happened. Alphonse's soul might not have disappeared completely in time to attach to the new body."

"So does that mean," I said slowly, "that if you had kept your concentration, you really would have recalled Trisha's soul and Al would have just disappeared?"

Ed shook his head. "No. I truly believe now that death is permanent. She's never coming back." He paused thoughtfully. "There is a lot of this that we still don't know. Like; if you are the thing we created, how is it that you look like Alphonse three days after the transmutation? And where did your soul come from? What really happened to Alphonse's body? It seems like the more we learn, the farther we get away from what actually happened."

My head thunked back against the hard train bench and I let out a heavy sigh, my thoughts whirling. I was almost sorry I brought this up, seeing as it only created more questions than it answered.

"Brother," Alphonse spoke up, "if we say this theory is correct, and that Alex is the result of the transmutation, then how does that explain our strange link? We thought it was because my soul was attracted to my original body, but if Alex isn't actually in my body…"

"AAaaaah," Ed suddenly yelled, scrubbing at his head in irritation, "I don't know! There are just too many variables that we don't know right now!"

A heavy silence fell over all of us as we each sank into our own thoughts. There were so many things I wanted to know, but Edward was right. We just didn't have enough information to go on right now. Still, there was one thing that sat in the forefront of my mind, weighing down my thoughts with a dark shadow. Was I even human?

"Leaving that aside," Alphonse said, breaking the tense silence, "you mentioned that you were rescued by a mysterious woman," he prompted.

"…Right," I mumbled, pushing aside my other thoughts for the moment. I tried to remember the details of that encounter, but it was difficult. I had been so distraught and in so much pain at the time that it was like trying to see the memory through intense tunnel vision. "She was tall and pale as the moon, and very beautiful," I recalled. Oddly enough, the image of her face was burned into my mind like a brand, though I couldn't remember much else. "She spoke, but I honestly don't remember what was said. She pulled the knife out of my hand, and I ran at the first opportunity."

"Why would she help you though, or even know you were in danger," Ed asked, eyes narrowed. I shrugged. I really didn't have any answers in that regard.

"She might have been watching Tucker. Might have been watching me. Who knows? For right now, I don't think she's our enemy, at the very least."

"Maybe," Al said, "She did save you after all."

"I don't like it," Ed said, staring out the window with his arms crossed. "I don't believe in random chance. She was there for a reason. No one ever does something for nothing. Just…be careful, alright?"

I nodded in agreement, although I wasn't even sure I would ever see her again. We fell back into silence as the countryside flew swiftly by.

o-0-o

It took us three days to get to Lior. Well, it would have taken a few hours less if _someone_ hadn't chased off the cab driver for calling him short. The stretch between Youswell and Lior changed drastically in our first day of travel, going from rolling plains to a scorching desert in the span of six hours. The train actually stopped about half way there, and it was explained to us that they could not build tracks in the shifting sands, and thus would have to take a taxi the rest of the way. Which would have been fine if a certain blond didn't have the temper of a five year old. I wondered how much of that was Edward's personality and how much he had picked up from Izumi. I shuddered at the thought.

Which leads us to my current predicament. "It's so hoooooot." I complained for the sixth time. We had been walking in the desert heat for half an hour, and I was already completely tired from trudging through the deep sands. Oh, this was the epitome of discomfort. I had sand in my shoes rubbing my feet raw, I was sweating like a pig in the intense heat, and I was pretty sure we had run out of water an hour ago.

"Shadup!" Ed griped in front of me, looking if possible even more uncomfortable as I was. "At least you aren't half made out of metal! Do you have any idea how hot this stuff gets?" Ed slumped his shoulders dramatically, and I patted him in sympathy. He had a fair point. Because of his automail, he had to stay completely covered in this heat, whereas I had taken off my jacket and put it over my head for shade immediately upon entering the desert. I was careful not to let my exposed shoulders get too much sun, but if we had to stay in this desert for much longer, I would have some serious sunburns to deal with.

"Look, there it is," Al exclaimed from a few paces behind us, pointing in the direction we were walking. Ed and I squinted through the heat waves and over the dunes. Vaguely, we could make out a tall white building in the distance. I smiled in elation. We were almost there!

"Finally," Ed shouted, suddenly running forward with a burst of energy. It still took us another half hour to reach the city, but soon enough the soft sand below us turned to sturdy cobble stone and narrow streets. We gratefully moved under the shaded walkways of Lior.

Unlike Central, the streets in Lior were not built for cars or buggies, but were narrow for foot traffic and carts. Every building had at least three stories, and from what I could tell from my vantage point, the higher floors were for living quarters, while the first floors held shops and restaurants. The architecture was different from Central as well. It was simpler, save for a massive building in the center of the centrally planned city, which looked like a giant church and loomed over all other buildings.

The farther in we walked, I began to notice that on every other street corner, there was a statue of a man holding a staff with an illuminating sun on the top. If I had to guess, it would be a messiah or saint of some sort. A clearly religious society, then.

We finally stopped at a small café, which jutted out into the street on the edge of a plaza. Gratefully, I sat to relieve my aching feet and rested my head on the stone counter. It was cool and soothed my heated and no doubt sunburnt face.

"Hello there, nice to see some new faces," an old man, the shopkeeper, stepped up to the counter and greeted us with a big smile underneath an impressive mustache. "What can I get you folks?"

"Cold water and whatever you have for a special today, please," I said, not even lifting my head from the cold counter top.

"You've got it. What about you, son?"

"Three glasses of ice water and whatever he's having," Ed grunted, lifting his heavy coat off his shoulders now that we were finally in the shade. The man gave Ed an odd look, but brought him the glasses he requested. Immediately, Edward grabbed the closest glass of water and poured it over his automail arm, then sighed in relief as steam drifted off the metal appendage and cooled it down. He did the same with his leg, before taking the last glass and guzzling it down greedily. The shopkeeper looked on curiously, but did not comment, merely bringing us our food, which turned out to be a simple bread roll and assorted cheeses and fruits.

As we ate, people began gathering around the booth. I looked around, slightly nervous, before realizing that none of them were really paying any attention to us.

"Time for a little soul food," the old man said, lifting his hand and flipping a switch above the counter where an old radio sat. Soothing notes drifted out of the radio, sounding vaguely like elevator music. I looked around as it echoed strangely, and I realized that every building along the street had similar radios or speakers that played the same channel.

A voice began speaking from the radios. "Children of God upon the earth, as sun lights the day, so does the Sun God Leto illuminate thy path, and drown thy sorrows…" a man said, his voice soothing and hypnotic. The rhetoric continued, and Ed looked a bit disgusted.

"Well, that's freakish," Ed said, turning back to his drink.

"Sounds like some kind of religious broadcast," Al said, turning back as well.

"What," the shopkeeper exclaimed, offended. "Your buddy wears a suit of armor and you wear a coat and gloves in the desert and you call us freaks? What up with you guys anyway, you street performers or something?"

Ed spat out the water he was drinking and looked at the man in disbelief. "I don't think so, pops, do I look like a clown to you," he said angrily. I snorted into my drink, amused, and Ed sent me a glare.

"Well you must have some reason for traveling out this far."

"We're just looking for something, that's all," Ed said, sipping his drink lazily.

"So who is this guy, anyway," I asked, looking over my shoulder. Every person in my view was still, hands folded and heads bowed as the speaker projected the sermon.

The shopkeeper leaned forward and placed his hands on the counter in disbelief. "You mean you've never heard of the Great Prophet Cornello?"

"Erm, no…" I said, leaning back slightly.

"What's so great about him, anyway," Ed said. He instantly regretted asking as a crowd of people suddenly gathered around and began singing the man praises. Edward shifted uncomfortably as one man got into his personal space.

"He can perform miracles, for one thing," the man said.

"He brought this desert town back from the brink of famine," another piped in.

"And he can even forgive sins!"

"You know what," Edward interrupted the zealous shouting, "we just remembered we have to be somewhere. You ready to go guys?" He stood and looked over to us with a long-suffering expression.

I looked down regretfully at my unfinished food and sighed, standing up. I agreed that we should leave though. I had never been comfortable around people with such strong beliefs in a God. You just never knew what would happen if you got into a difference of opinion in such a crowd, and just like Edward, I had no desire to find out.

"Excuse me sir," I said, as my brothers started to fight through the throng. The shopkeeper looked up. "Do you have any idea where a few weary travelers can stay for the night?"

"Hm…well, if you are short on funds, you can stay at the church." He grinned widely. "Our church has a large pilgrim's quarters for travelers such as yourself."

"Is that right…" I said a little doubtfully. "What do we have to do in order to be allowed to stay there?"

"Nothing, nothing," the man said, "you just have to pay your respects to the God Leto with a small offering. It could be anything from fixing a part of the church or providing food for a service."

 _Well, that doesn't sound too hard_ , I thought to myself. With Alchemy, we could do pretty much anything as payment. I gave the man a grateful smile and paid for our food before catching up with Ed and Al.

"Wait, guys," I shouted. They were still a ways ahead of me. They looked back and Ed tapped his foot impatiently.

I was within a few yards of them when something caught my attention from the corner of my eye. I paused and looked around at the people milling about the street, trying to see through the crowd what had piqued my interest. There was a woman walking away from us, her hood pulled low over her face. Waving black hair peaked out of the hood in the breeze, and my mind sparked in recognition. It couldn't be…

"Alex," Ed said irritably, "what's the hold up?"

…Nah, probably not. I shook my head and walked the rest of the way to the two boys. "I think I've found us some lodgings for the night."

"Really, where," Al said, tilting his head.

"There's a pilgrim's quarters at the church in town. That old man said we could stay there for free, as long as we fixed something in the church."

"Fixed something, huh? Well that sounds pretty easy. Let's go," Ed said, spinning around and walking towards the large building at the center of town, eager to be out of the desert heat and to find some rest.

o-0-o

The church really was massive, standing at least twenty stories higher than the other buildings in the city. The white monolith was the tallest building I had seen since coming to Amestris. Spires jutted out gracefully from the main body of the church, and arches decorated every doorway with carved images of their idol. At the grand double doors a man in black robes greeted us, and when we explained why we were there, he led us through a long hallway of white painted walls and several doors. At the end, he directed us to a plain wooden door with a promise to return when the next morning's ceremonies began.

Edward grimaced in distaste at that, tempted to tell him not to bother, no doubt. The room we were appointed was simple, only holding four beds and storage trunks at the end. Evening light filtered into the room from a small window at the far side, giving everything a golden glow.

"Ugh," Ed groaned, flopping back on the closest bed and dumping his coat and travel bag on the floor. "Finally! I'm exhausted."

Alphonse sighed and picked up Edward's mess off the floor and placed it on top of the trunk at the foot of his bed. "Try not to trash the place, Brother, we don't want to get thrown out."

"You're such a clean freak, Al," I chuckled, placing my own bag at the foot of the bed next to Edward's.

"I am not!" Al crossed his arms with a clank. "I just like things to be tidy, that's all."

"Shaddup, you two, I need to sleep!"

"It's only, like, seven, Ed. What are you, an old man?"

"It's hot…the desert…sleepy," Ed mumbled, nodding off even as he spoke.

"Heh, he's already asleep," Al said, giggling slightly. I snorted in amusement and began unwrapping my hand. I grimaced in disgust as the sweat soaked bands came off and inspected my wound. It was healing nicely. The cut was knitting together, even though my palm was a bit pruned from sweat. I was able to move it a bit more now, although it still might be a while before I would be able to use it fully again.

"I think you might be able to remove the stitches now," Al said, coming to my side. I nodded in agreement. They were coming loose in any case, and it looked like as long as I didn't put my hand through too much stress, the scar tissue would hold without assistance.

"Do you want me to do it," Al asked, sounding a little nervous.

I smiled at him, "No that's alright. I think I'll go ask around and see if there is a doctor anywhere near here. If there is, I'll see if I can see him in the morning."

"Ok," Al said, relieved.

I grabbed my jacket and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a little while. Do you mind washing my wrap for me?"

"Sure."

o-0-o

I walked down the white halls of the church, wandering. Night was falling, and the only light illuminating the hallways was smokeless torches. I wondered idly why a society that clearly had electricity would still be using those, but then I figured that this building might have been around way before that technology was invented. Or maybe they just liked them. Who knew?

The halls were empty and silent, and I hoped that not everyone had gone home for the night. Eventually, I came upon a small grotto that was emitting the soft light of candles. I walked inside to find a quaint little chapel, an idol sitting at the back with stained glass windows behind it. The pews were empty, though it was clear that someone had been there recently because of the burning candles. I turned around to leave, thinking that I might catch up to whoever it was, when I stopped short.

"Well, hello there. Long time no see." A tall woman stood in the entrance to the small chapel, her long black hair and eyes gleaming softly in the candlelight.

"It's you," I said, startled. I thought I had seen her in town earlier. It was the woman who had saved Nina and me from Tucker. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly with her painted red lips and I had to momentarily fight back memories of the night I met her, the sudden influx of images catching me off guard. "I'm here on business," she said in her sultry way. She stepped forward into the room, and I took a step back. She paused. "Now don't be like that, I'm not going to bite you."

"Come on, you know you want to," I joked, trying to ease my nervousness. I didn't know why I was feeling so on edge when this woman had never given me any reason to fear her. She had killed Shou Tucker in cold blood, yes, but in doing so, she saved my life.

The seductress covered her mouth and gave a charming giggle at my words, and I felt my tension ease slightly. I smiled. "I want to thank you for saving me the last time we met," I said. The woman bowed slightly in recognition of my gratitude. "Just one thing, though. How did you know I was in trouble?"

She gave me a shrewd look, seeming to contemplate whether she should answer my question. Eventually she spoke. "I had been watching Tucker for months. He had the potential to create something I'm interested in, but he veered from the path by trying to make you into a chimera. I came in as soon as I realized what was happening."

I furrowed my brow. "The potential to create something…?"

She shook her head and looked down. "I have found someone more suitable since then." The woman looked at my left side and frowned, her brow crinkling in concern. "You are still hurt."

I lifted my hand and glanced at my wound, distracted by her change in subject. I had forgotten that it was no longer wrapped, and the night air felt cold over my usually covered appendage. "Oh…yeah, it should still take a while for it to heal…"

"Would you like me to heal it for you?"

My head jerked up in surprise. "You can do that?"

She smiled sweetly. "Yes, and I can even remove the scar, if you'd like." My first thought was that it was totally ridiculous. Healing powers? But really, who was I to judge what was and wasn't possible, when I was literally a soul in a body created by magic. While I contemplated this, the woman moved slowly forward. I jerked back half a step, caught off guard when she got close to me. She lifted a small pouch from her cloak and dumped the contents into her hand.

"What's that," I asked suspiciously. It looked like a pile of small rubies, shining softly in the flickering light.

"It's a product of Alchemy that can energize and heal the wounds of certain people," the woman said, looking at the small lumps fondly. "If you eat some of them, I'm sure your wound will be healed."

"Erm…my older brother told me never to take candy from strangers," I quipped, raising my eyebrow. Did she really expect me to eat them just like that?

She giggled, "Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. Here look." With her other hand, the tall woman cut a small incision with her nail, drawing a bead of blood. She then took one of the small ruby-like pieces and popped it in her mouth. A few seconds later, the wound emitted red sparks and closed right before my disbelieving eyes.

"Incredible," I breathed. "And there are no ill effects?"

"No, it is merely an energy source that accelerates the healing process in certain people. Try one?" She extended her hand, and I cautiously took a small lump from her. It was cool to the touch, and felt like a bead of glass. I looked between her and the red bead, considering. This woman had saved my life, and didn't seem to mean me any harm. She had even eaten one in front of me. I glanced down at my hand, taking in the nasty roped scar that was forming in place of the wound. Letting it heal on it's own would take months, and even then, it might not ever work the same.

I nodded my head, and brought the ruby bead to my lips.

 _There you go. An in depth(?) explanation of Soul's Directive. I hope that makes sense to everyone. Thanks to Helios who gave me advice on my theory!_

 _OH NO! Alex, you KNOW better than to put random things in your mouth! Bad! Spit it out right now! Or I'll make Ed spank you...pft..._

 _Thanks everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! I love you all more than I love ramen noodles! Which is a lot. Next Time: Where's Alex? And does the philosopher's stone finally make an appearance in this story? See you then!_


	21. Chapter 21

Alex grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "I'll be back in a little while. Do you mind washing my wrap for me," he said, glancing back over his shoulder at Alphonse.

"Sure," Alphonse said easily. The door clicked quietly shut and Al sighed, looking down at the sweat soaked bandages in his hand. He really wished Alex would take care of that wound a little better. Letting it get soaked like that can't be good for a healing injury. The suit of armor walked over to the end of the room where a narrow door led to a bathroom. Inside there was a small alcove with an indention in the floor meant for bathing, a sink and a toilet.

He squeezed through the door into the small space, not for the first time resenting his large size. His broad spiked shoulders clanked against the walls as he quickly filled a basin with water and backed out of the room. As he did so, his head hit the top of the doorframe and nearly knocked his helmet off. He dropped the full water basin in surprise and snatched his helmet before it could hit the ground, still able to 'see' perfectly fine even though he had no head.

The water basin fell heavily onto the floor, the water soaking the tiles, and Alphonse groaned in helpless frustration. He placed his head back on his shoulders and glanced over at his sleeping brother, making sure he had not disturbed him. Edward lay on his back with his arms spread-eagled and his mouth hanging open, snoring softly. Alphonse was relieved, but also a bit jealous of Ed's sleeping form.

He looked back to the floor at the pool of water at his feet. In the dimming light, he could see his image staring back at him with glowing red eyes. Frustration and melancholy pooled into his soul as he stared at the suit of armor in the reflection.

He remembered when he had first awoken in this body. It was not a gentle awakening, like slipping out of a slumber after a long night's sleep. It wasn't even like being jerked awake, like coming out of a nightmare. Waking in the armor for the first time was like a light switch coming on, instant and bright. With no preamble, he began processing information, and he could see perfectly clearly even though the room was dim. He saw his older brother collapsed in front of him, covered in blood, and missing his limbs. Panicked, he had desperately tried to wake Edward, who was already unconscious, and noticed for the first time…that he was no longer in his own body. Before him were the familiar hands of the suit of armor that their father had kept in his lab for as long as he could remember. When he moved, they moved as well, and then he realized what had happened.

He had been horrified, but his brother came first. He wrapped Edward's wounds with whatever was available, the cloth instantly becoming soaked with blood. Gathering the small – _so weak, and so much smaller than me, oh God, what happened_ – form of his brother into his metal arms, and held him close to his chest. He had to get him out of there fast!

Movement captured his attention, and a sudden surge of hope had gripped him. Had they done it? Had they actually brought their mother back? Could she help them?

He looked over… and recoiled violently. There, in the center of the transmutation circle they had so carefully drawn together…was a monster. A long, malformed hand reached towards Alphonse, attached to an equally malformed body. Ribs and bone jutted out of blackened flesh and a medley of contorted limbs, twitching with grotesque jerks as blood pooled around it. What horrified Alphonse the most, though, were its eyes. Its contorted head was upside down, a lipless mouth wide open in scream of agony and misery, and white, dead eyes stared at the displaced boy in accusation.

"Wha-ah…" Alphonse whispered, his voice trembling in terror and grief. "I don't understand…how could this happen…"

"A-Alphonse…" Ed groaned, teeth clenched together in agony. Al started, looking away from the convoluted creature and desperately towards his brother. "I'm…sorry…" tears streamed down Edward's face, but he could not open his eyes. "I'm sor–ughch…"

"Edward! Hold on, I'll get you to help! Stay with me, brother!" Al had spun on his heel, turning his back on the monster they had created and desperately ran from the house and towards Pinako's.

It was only later that Alphonse truly realized the damage they had done to themselves. His true body was completely gone, and his new shell was an unfeeling mass of metal. That first night, as he sat alone while Pinako tried desperately to save his brother's life, Alphonse had explored himself, and despaired. He could feel nothing. The armor trembled in response to his grief and fear, but he could not feel the usual rush of adrenaline, or the pounding of his heart. He could feel grief, but no matter how much he wished he could, he could not cry. He had wanted desperately to shut down his mind and escape, but he could not sleep, or even block out his vision. He was trapped.

Alphonse shook his head suddenly, coming back to the present with a jerk. Where had all those dark thoughts come from? He looked away from his reflection and grabbed a towel from the linen closet to begin to clean up his mess. _It hadn't been all that bad,_ he tried to think positively. After all, they may have lost Alphonse's body and half of Edward's, but Alex was a result. It truly was baffling how that scary thing they had created had become a carbon copy of Alphonse's body, but although at first he was resentful, he came to accept it and even came to love Alex as his own person. He was glad that Alex did not remember that night, and he hoped he never would.

Alex truly had been a balm to Alphonse's damaged heart. Although they had torn him away from his original existence, Alphonse felt that the boy had truly saved him and his brother from complete despair. As if it was meant to be, Alex had easily fit into the bond between Alphonse and Edward and together they motivated each other to be better than they were, and to keep moving forward. They all had one goal in mind: to make right what had been destroyed, and return to normal.

Al finished cleaning the floor and placed the towel in the washbasin. He walked slowly over to his slumbering brother who had curled into himself, as if chilled. Alphonse could not tell what temperature it was without Alex's help, but he remembered that nights in the desert tended to be cold, and the window was open to the elements. He pulled a blanket over his brother, and Ed's tense face relaxed and his body loosened.

Alphonse pulled back, satisfied, and grabbed some of the dirty traveling clothes from both Edward's and Alex's bags and began to wash them diligently. The strange bond between Alex and himself had also been an incredible help in Alphonse's adjustment to his new existence. When he first realized that he could feel again after three days of not being able to feel anything at all, the boy had been over joyed and had desperately sought Alex's company, despite the discomfort of sharing his every emotion with not only a stranger, but also a stranger that had seemingly commandeered his own body. He had clung to him, even though he knew that Alex was not comfortable with the contact. But still, Alex had been kind and compassionate, allowing Alphonse this. In a way, that initial contact had been what had allowed the displaced boy to adjust to his new body, and when Alex left to find a master, he was sad but no longer drowning. Since then, Alphonse and Alex had struck a balance between privacy and bond, and Al treasured that connection dearly. When the day finally came to let him go, Alphonse wondered if he would be able to do it. Now, it would be just as devastating as losing Edward, the only family he had left.

But no, Alphonse thought, that was selfish of him. They would find a way to get Edward's limbs back and end the horrible pain and stress that the automail put him through, and Alex would be sent back to his home where he belonged. Alphonse would make sure of it.

The suit of armor hung up the clothes to dry on a clothes line strung across the window, and also hung the bandages for Alex's hand beside them. Speaking of Alex, he had been gone for quite some time, at least an hour. He began to worry. Al glanced between his sleeping brother and the door, wondering if he should wake him and go look for their missing companion. He decided against it and left the sleeping boy alone, thinking that it might be nothing. He would go search on his own.

Al strode down the hallway, having no trouble seeing in the flickering light of the torches. He walked past a small grotto, and paused as dim candlelight reflected off his metal face. He entered the small chapel.

"Honestly," Alphonse said fondly, spotting the sleeping form of Alex huddled on one of the benches, "trying to keep track of you two is like trying to herd cats." The boy was laying flat on his back, his mouth slightly open and his blond hair falling in his eyes, looking almost identical to Edward in his sleep. He was covered in a brown traveling cloak that Alphonse did not recognize, and he wondered if one of the dedicates had left it on him when he found him snoozing there. Al would have to express his thanks later. The suit of armor bundled Alex in his arms and walked slowly back to their room, momentarily sharing in the boy's dreams through the fabric. He seemed peaceful, and if Al could have, he would have smiled.

o-0-o

"Brother, it's time to get up," Alphonse shook Edward gently. Ed groaned and sat up. He blinked blearily a few times in the early morning light before stretching and letting out a huge yawn, his disheveled loose hair falling over his shoulders haphazardly. He tugged a lock out of his automail shoulder plate in annoyance, wondering again why he bothered to keep it so long.

"Mornin', Al," he mumbled, licking his teeth.

"Heh, morning brother." Alphonse stood back as Ed swung his legs over the side of the bed, shivering in the cool early morning air. Ed glanced at the still sleeping form of Alex before walking lazily over to the small bathroom.

"The man who brought us to this room yesterday came back. He said that in an hour, the whole town is going to gather and witness Father Cornello perform miracles."

Edward turned on the tap and began brushing his teeth. "Why would we care about that," he grumbled.

"Brother," Alphonse admonished, "you remember why we are here right? We were supposed to investigate the priest that rose to power so quickly and uses Alchemy without Equivalent Exchange."

"Right, right," Ed said. He vaguely remembered that they were there for a reason like that. He did not hold much stock in the rumors, however. It was probably a dead end. Still, they did need to check it out. He spat into the sink and wiped his mouth, and then began to wash up, spinning his hair in his usual braid after washing it. Alphonse handed his brother his automail care kit, which Ed took languidly, and turned to wake Alex.

"Alex," Alphonse said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Alex's eyes snapped open, and Al was alarmed to feel fear coursing through their bond. The boy sat up suddenly and looked around. "What's wrong," Al asked.

Alex sat still for a moment, taking I his surroundings. "…It's nothing," he said finally, his brow furrowed in confusion. "When did I get back last night?"

"I carried you back," Al said in exasperation. "I found you sleeping in a chapel down the hall. You really shouldn't fall asleep in random places."

"Pft, you fell asleep in a chapel?" Ed chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom, shedding his shirt from the day before and grabbing a clean one off the clothesline by the window.

"Look who's talking," Alex said, smiling weakly. "You're the one who fell asleep at seven last night."

"Hey, I was tired!" Edward grabbed Alex's bandage off the clothesline and threw it at him. In reflex, Alex caught it…with his left hand.

"Ah," Al put his hand up, waiting for Alex to flinch in pain like he usually did when he accidently used his wounded hand, but that didn't happen. Instead, Alex looked down at his hand, bewildered. Alphonse sidled over to look as well, and he was startled at what he found.

"It's healed," he said in surprise. Where a once angry red scar sat, there was now unblemished flesh. Well, mostly unblemished. The stitches that had been holding the wound together were still embedded in his flesh, surrounded by slightly irritated skin. Alex flexed his hand, the muscles working perfectly.

"What the hell," Ed said, grabbing the hand and pulling it towards his face. "How did you manage to heal over night?"

"Um," Alex said, shifting uncomfortably and avoiding Edward's eyes. Ed narrowed his eyes and grabbed Alex's chin with his flesh hand and forced Alex to face him.

"You're hiding something again. I thought we agreed not to keep anything from each other from now on."

"Did it happen last night when you went to find a doctor," Alphonse prodded. Alex nodded slowly, and Edward released him.

"I ran into that woman again, the one who saved me from Tucker."

"What do you mean, 'ran into her'? Are you saying she just _happened_ to be in Lior and just _happened_ to find you," Ed shouted, alarmed.

"No! Yes…I don't know, she was just there ok?"

"So then what happened," Alphonse said, worried.

"Well…I thanked her for saving me that time, and then she…healed me."

"She…healed you," Ed said skeptically.

Alex nodded his head. "She gave me some little beads and said that they could heal wounds."

"And you just believed her and ate them! Are you an idiot! They could have done anything to you," Ed yelled, squeezing the hand that he held. Alex flinched a little and tried to tug it back.

"No! She showed me on her own body that they worked. Besides, my hand is healed isn't it? Plus, I only ate one," he paused. "…I think."

"You THINK? You mean you don't remember?" Ed ground his teeth together.

"I…might have… blacked out after the first one…" Alex said meekly.

Edward shook his head in disbelief and dropped Alex's hand in disgust. He backed up and stood ramrod straight, his shoulders tight and golden eyes dead serious. "I'm only going to tell you this once, Alex. Stay away from that woman. She clearly wants something from you, and is even going so far as to _stalk_ you. She's dangerous, and the next time you see her, you will _run away_ and find one of us." He ground his teeth angrily. "I swear, every time you leave our sight you get into trouble. Do you really want another Tucker Incident?" Alex's face contorted in anger and indignity, and he opened his mouth to retort, but Edward turned his back on him and strode to the door. "Alphonse, watch him. Don't let him out of your sight." He grabbed his jacket and walked out, shutting the door behind him with finality.

Alex sat on the bed, his mouth hanging open. "What the hell? Where does he get off, telling me what to do? I'm older than both of you _combined_ , and I can take care of myself!"

Alphonse sighed, sitting on the bed in front of the fuming teen. "Really? You can take care of yourself?" He looked directly at Alex, and the boy flinched a little at his angry tone. "You should have come to one of us. Instead, you blindly trusted a woman you barely knew and just ate something she gave you. You're lucky to even be still alive. Ed was right to be angry." Despite his miffed tone, Alphonse gently picked up Alex's hand and began pulling out the stitches one by one. At every thread pulled, a small bead of blood was drawn, which he wiped away with a rag. Alex avoided the other boy's gaze, but Alphonse could feel his regret, and an equal amount of rebelliousness.

"Al, she saved my life. How can that be bad?"

"You have no idea why she did it. For all you know, she could have just wanted to kill Tucker because of a grudge, and you just happened to be there. Besides, who do you trust more, her or us?" Alex hunched his shoulders, abashed. "We are just worried about you," Alphonse said softly. Alex twitched.

"I know."

"Promise you won't do this again."

"…Ok."

o-0-o

Ed returned some time later, and the three boys headed to the front of the church. There was a huge crowd gathering in the courtyard, and it looked like half of Lior was attending Cornello's demonstration. They ended up crammed in the back of the large crowd. Alphonse could easily see over the heads of the people in front of them, and he observed an old man wreathed in black robes addressing the crowd on a white platform in front of a large statue of their idol. His hands were spread wide, and he was clearly speaking, but Alphonse could barely hear him over the raucous people.

At the end of his speech, Cornello accepted a flower from a young girl. He held it in his hand, and in a flash of red light, the flower turned into a gleaming sculpture of crystal flowers that twisted around each other beautifully. The large man held his hands out in offering, and the crowd roared in approval.

"Brother, did you see that," Al asked, a thrill of excitement running through him.

"Yeah," Ed said. He had pulled a nearby crate from the side of he road and was standing on it, his hand shading his eyes. "There's no doubt about it. He's using Alchemy."

"But somehow he's ignoring the law of equivalent exchange," Al said. "He just transformed that flower into something that has way more mass. He shouldn't be able to do that."

"Yeah, and not only that, he just converted something of organic matter into inorganic matter."

"Ed, do you think he might have…"

"It's possible. Let's not get our hopes up just yet."

"What," Alex popped in, trying to see over the crowd. "What does he have? How is he doing that?"

Ed and Al glanced at each other, before Al answered. "When you were unconscious a couple of weeks ago, we were given the task to catalogue all of Tucker's research."

"Tuckers research," Alex said, a horrified expression on his face, "How could you touch that crazy bastard's work?"

"He might have been crazy," Ed said, "but he knew what he was doing. In his notes, we found a great deal of research on a powerful transmutation amplifier. It supposedly can be used to ignore the laws of Equivalent Exchange." he looked back to where Cornello was still performing unbelievable transmutations with a spark of excitement in his golden eyes. "It's called the Philosopher's Stone, and if Cornello has one…we might be able to use it to get our bodies back."

 _Hi guys! Guess what, guess what! It's the monthaversary of Substitute Soul! Yay! I've written 60,000 words, 110 pages, and got 29 followers, 14 favorites, 67 reviews and 1,928 views! Wow! I really never thought I would make it so far with this crazy idea of mine. I'm so happy you all have stuck with me through this, and I hope I can entertain you all for a long while yet._

 _Ok, now for the chapterly debrief. We got to hear from Alphonse, and I've finally addressed how he views everything that happened so far. Brotherly!Ed made an appearance as well. I love writing how protective he is over his little brothers. His and Al's brotherly bond was one of my favorite aspects of the anime, and I hope I'm doing those types of feelings justice here. And now the boys are FINALLY set on the path of the philosopher's stone. Lust should be happy about that, the crafty seductress._

 _Next Chapter: Ed meets a pretty girl, Alex gets to fight for the first time since injuring himself, and a prophet gets dethroned. Should be fun. See you there!_

 _One more thing. I've decided to stop writing my other story, The King's Private Bath, due to lack of interest. I'm sorry if you were waiting on an update on that, but if you were then please let me know. I might consider making it a collection of one shots or something._

 _Anyways, please review and follow! I live off those things!_


	22. Chapter 22

In a small chapel in the depths of the temple in Lior, two figures stood in the flickering glow of small candles. The red gleam reflected off of the cherry wood pews and the stone idol that sat in the back, giving the room a haunting glow. One of the figures was a tall beautiful woman, her black hair waving delicately over shoulders pale as the moon. The other was a young boy, no older than thirteen, and his long blond hair gleamed golden in the candlelight. He stared down at a small red jewel in his hand, his handsome brow furrowed in consideration as the woman watched on. If one were to happen upon the scene, it would appear that the hapless young boy was being seduced by the devil, the next movement bringing either salvation or calamity.

The blond boy slowly brought the red stone to his lips, and Lust the Lascivious shuddered in anticipation. She had wondered when she had seen the three boys in town earlier whether she would get the chance to set her plans in motion. The lure of the Philosopher's Stone had been the perfect bait, and just as she had anticipated, Edward Elric had brought his brothers to Lior. The trap was set, and with any luck, Lust and her comrades' ambitions would be fulfilled, thanks to that talented Alchemist. And this boy as well. He would come to her side, just like the rest.

The boy, Alex, delicately placed the jewel on his tongue and it disappeared behind white teeth. At first, nothing happened. His gaze turned questioningly to his hand, which held the injury that Lust had so foolishly allowed, the roped scar standing out starkly against his lightly tanned skin. The smug woman smiled. It wouldn't be long now.

The reaction was sudden and complete. Red sparks momentarily filled the room, and the young boy threw his head back with a moan, his hair falling back and his body arching in surprise. Lust tingled in remembered sensation. She knew exactly what he was feeling. It was the same way they always felt when they consumed the red stone: mind-numbing pleasure in every nerve of their bodies. She knew the experience could be…overwhelming for those who were not used to it.

The boy shuddered once, then twice, folding his arms around himself. His eyes were unfocused as he looked past the lavishly decorated ceiling. Slowly, he brought his eyes down and looked at Lust, his bright green irises muddling in color until they settled into a bright purple, identical to the woman's own. His gaze zeroed in on the handful of red stones that Lust still held in her delicate gloved hand. They gleamed temptingly, and he took a shuddering step forward.

Lust smiled, exposing her teeth. "That's right, they are all yours." She proffered her hand, and the boy moved forward immediately. He grabbed Lust by the waist and pulled her forward with his previously healed left hand, and with his right, he grasped the hand that held the stones and brought it to his mouth. Lust stroked the silky blond locks on the back of the boy's head while he pressed in as close as he could get, devouring the stones greedily from her palm. "That's it, eat to your hearts content." They boy clung to her as each bite he took sent a shudder of intense pleasure into his body, the feeling addicting and powerful. When they were gone, he licked the hand, his pink tongue tickling Lust's palm. She giggled.

Another brilliant bout of red sparks emitted from the young man and he threw his head back again in ecstasy, his body going rigid. "Ah..agh…" With a shuddering moan, his eyes slipped back into his head and his legs gave out. Before he could hit the ground, Lust caught him around the waist and carefully laid him on a mahogany bench.

She softly brushed back the golden hair from the boy's peaceful face. "There, there, little one. Don't worry; I haven't given you enough to turn you immortal just yet, as the time has not come for you to join us. You need to be there for Edward until he has completed his task." She turned the boy's face and brushed aside the hair behind his right ear, smiling. The ouroboros tattoo was growing darker; going from a dim red shadow to the light form of a dragon biting its tail, identical to the one that graced her generous bosom. "Soon," she whispered, softly kissing the mark. The woman took off her traveling cloak and placed it over the slumbering boy, leaving him there to rest.

o-0-o

"Lust," a wheedling voice interrupted her thoughts. At first the woman didn't react, preferring to dwell on the beautiful memory.

"Lust," the voice spoke again. Lust opened one eye, slightly annoyed, and regarded her companion. A short, round man, if he could even be called such, was sucking on his finger pathetically, his white empty eyes wide open in concern. "Lust, I'm hungry."

If it hadn't gone against her personality so badly, Lust would have rolled her eyes. As it was, she placed her chin on her palm and assumed a bored expression. "Gluttony, you are always hungry." She looked out the window from the small tower they were lounging in, observing the demonstration below. Their puppet Cornello was performing beautifully, using the red stone she had given him to lure talented Alchemists into their trap. Not that that was the only reason they had put him there. The army of the faithful would come in handy later, as well.

The man whined childishly and placed a meaty hand on Lust's arm. "But…"

"Oh, hush. You'll get some food soon. I have a feeling things are only going to get more interesting."

o-0-o

I peered over the rumbling crowd, trying to see what the Prophet Cornello was doing with new interest. His Alchemy really was incredible. He was making things out of nothing, and creating beautiful works of art without any effort. He might have been a complete fake, but I had to hand it to him: he had style.

"Philosopher's Stone?" I repeated, excited. Could something like that really exist? It sounded a bit too easy to me. How could there be something out there that broke all the rules and basically granted wishes like a genie in a bottle?

"That's right," Ed said, speaking to me normally. I was grateful for this, since I had thought he would still be mad, but it looked like he was willing to let it go for now. "It was thought to be a myth, but Alchemists have dedicated their entire lives to finding out how to make one. The research is supposedly hidden very deeply, as everyone who finds out seems to either be cursed to fail, or the secret is just so incredible that they wanted to hide it."

"Sounds dangerous," I said, giving up on trying to see properly and looking up at Ed. He was still standing on the crate, his expression serious even though he looked kind of silly.

"Dangerous or not, we have to look into this. It's our best lead, and clearly the existence of the stone is possible. I think it's our best bet." He grinned ruthlessly. "Let's go pay Father Cornello a visit."

A few moments later, the demonstration was over, and Father Cornello disappeared into the church. The people surrounding us started to disperse, and Edward jumped down off the crate. Just as we were about to leave, a young woman came up to us and tapped Edward lightly on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be the people who are staying in the pilgrim's quarters by any chance?"

Ed turned around, annoyed, but he stopped short, his scathing response seeming to choke him. The girl was about as tall as I was, and she had long brown hair with cute pink highlights in the bangs that surrounded her tan face. Her eyes were wide, brown and friendly, and she smiled radiantly at Edward. The boy frowned disconcertingly, disarmed, and blushed a little.

"Yeah, that's us."

"Hello," Alphonse piped politely. With a short bow, he introduced himself. "My name is Alphonse Elric."

I gave a charming smile and imitated Al's bow theatrically, hand thrown to one side and the other resting over my heart. "My name is Alex Elric, nice to meet you."

Edward jabbed a gloved thumb at himself with a wide smile. "And I'm Edward Elric, their older brother."

The woman put a finger to her lips cutely, eyes sparkling with amusement at the declaration. "Older brother? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

I snorted loudly into my palm as Edward glowered dangerously. "Just calm down brother," Alphonse smoothed over, holding his hands up in placation, "she didn't mean anything by it." Edward ground his teeth but didn't respond in his usual expressive manner, no doubt because of his weakness for pretty women.

"My name is Rose," the girl said brightly. "I heard you boys were staying in the pilgrim's quarters and I was wondering if you might help me with something." Her voice withheld a bubbling laugh that I could almost see just beneath the surface of her radiant smile. My cheeks tugged as I could not hold back a grin at her infectious mood.

"Sure thing," I said, playfully throwing an arm around Edward's shoulder, "I'm sure Ed here would be delighted to help with anything you ask." I winked and Ed took a swipe at my head, causing me to move back with a chuckle.

"Great! Follow me." Rose spun around, her brown hair waving merrily, and began walking towards the church, weaving between the dispersing crowd in the narrow street. Ed grumbled but was the first to follow along, Al and I a step behind him, the both of us exchanging amused glances.

The young woman led us up the white steps and into the church, the grand double doors that we had bypassed before opening into a cavernous chamber. At the end of what was clearly the main chamber of the building was a monumental statue of their idol, Leto, holding his staff of the sun. In front of him was an altar, and dozens of rows of benches lined the rest of the space, leaving a wide walkway in the center. We strolled up this red-carpeted aisle, and Ed glanced around with a bored expression, seemingly unimpressed with the decadent architecture and blatant display of wealth, though I couldn't imagine he had seen many sites quite like this.

"Here," Rose said, her voice echoing in the quiet chamber as we reached the altar in the back. "I need a bit of help getting these purple drapes on the wall behind the statue." She pointed to a stack of the shimmering cloth sitting on the floor beside the altar, and there was an identical cloth hanging from the high ceiling on the left side of the idol. "I put up that one earlier, but the man who was helping me suddenly had to leave, and this has to go up before the next session tonight."

"What's it for," I asked, looking up. The ceiling was at least several stories high, and a tall ladder rested against the wall, reaching up.

"It's the ceremonial drapes signifying the change in the seasons in Letoism. I really just need a few helping hands to hold the ladder steady while I pin these up. Would you mind helping me?"

"Sure," Ed said.

"Thanks, Edward," Rose said with a smile. Ed blushed and looked away. For the next several minutes, Alphonse and Edward held the ladder steady while Rose and I pinned up the drapes, me from the bottom and Rose from the top. When it was finished, Rose looked up at the statue of Leto and smiled in delight.

Rose folded her hands over her heart and bowed her head, mumbling a short prayer to herself. "Thank you boys," she said, looking over at us. "You were a big help."

"It was nothing," Al said bashfully, "We are staying here for free after all."

"What is the reason for your visit to Lior," Rose asked. "Are you interested in Letoism?"

"Sorry," Ed said, sitting heavily on a bench in the front row. "I'm not really the religious type." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his attitude.

"Oh," Rose said, smiling sadly. She closed her eyes in reverence and folded her hands before her chest, her look benign. "That's too bad. To know God is to know peace and purpose. Before Father Cornello showed me the way, I was drowning in despair. He said that through Leto, my boyfriend who died a year ago in a terrible accident would come back to me."

Ed frowned deeply, golden eyes narrowing in suspicion, and I got a sinking feeling in my gut, not liking where this was going.

"You mean to say that Cornello is claiming to be able to bring people back from the dead," he said softly.

"Yes, he's even done it before–"

"Impossible," Ed interjected sharply, and I cringed at the slight wavering of pain in his voice. Rose stopped short, no doubt hearing it as well. Edward pulled out his small leather journal, the one he frequently wrote notes in during our travels. He turned to a well-worn page and held it open, stroking the parchment gently, contemplatively. "Did you know that the components of an average human, down to the very last protein in your eyelashes, could be bought in a market for the spare change in your pocket? It turns out that humans can be built on the cheap. Heck, even a kid could afford it."

"What–"

Ed continued, closing his eyes. "Still, even with all of the advancements in Alchemy that have been made, there has not been a single instance of successfully resurrecting a human life." He glared, challenging. "Are you saying that something modern science can't do, you can do with prayer?"

"Yes!" Rose shouted strongly, shoulders going rigid and voice echoing off the vaulted cielings. "Lift thy voice to God and he will answer. Those who are faithful are rewarded by His divine grace."

Ed shook his head, a rueful smile on his face and voice calm in the face of her ire. "You have to understand, Alchemists don't believe in un-provable concepts like gods or creation. We observe the laws that govern the physical world and try to learn the truth. In a way, we have achieved the power to become gods ourselves."

"That's blasphemy," Rose whispered in disbelief, "It's sheer arrogance to place yourself on the same level as God."

"You know," Ed said, leaning back and gazing upward, "there's this legend of a hero who flew with wings made of wax. He thought he could touch the sun, but when he got too close, the wings melted, and he came crashing down."

"Icarus," I whispered. How appropriate to compare himself to the Greek legend. It was a wonder that our two worlds shared the same story. I hoped that our journey would not end in the same tragedy. I leaned against Alphonse, who shared in my melancholy.

Rose was stunned, and Ed, realizing that he may have gone too far, stood and held his hand over his heart. "I'm sorry, this is hard for me to ask, but can an arrogant Alchemist like myself be permitted to speak with Father Cornello, so that I too may be saved?"

Rose clapped her hands together in delight, seeming completely oblivious to the lie. Or maybe just hopeful. "Of course! I'm sure Father Cornello can show you the way!" I smiled a bit at her naivete.

A loud bang from behind us startled me badly, causing us to jump. A door I had not noticed before had swung open suddenly, and a man stepped through, expression fierce. Swiftly, he brought a gun to the fore and pointed it straight at Alphonse without preamble. My heart leapt into overdrive at the unexpected entrance as adrenaline spiked through my limbs. From the corner of my vision I saw Edward tense, jumping to his feet before freezing at the man's threatening gesture.

"Father Cray," Rose exclaimed in alarm, "what are you doing!?"

The man, Cray, did not look away from Alphonse, his black robed arm steady. In a deep voice, he said, "Step away from them, Rose. These boys are evil, and they have come to destroy this place of worship."

Rose stepped back in sudden trepidation, looking between Ed, Al, and I. "What?"

"This is the will of God," the fanatic shouted, and before we could react, he pulled the trigger with a loud bang, the sound shattering off the walls and causing my adrenaline to spike painfully as I gasped. Alphonse's helmet flew off and his body clanked heavily to the floor. "Alphonse!"

I made to move towards him on frantic limbs, but the man pointed his gun at me. I froze, eyes going wide with terror. There was no way I could do anything about it at this distance! "Not so fast," Cray growled, a manic gleam in his eyes. "You're next. Father Cornello has proclaimed you enemy of the church. May Leto have mercy!" He jerked his hand, and I flinched, futilely trying to protect myself with shielding arms. But the shot never came. Slowly, my eyes cracked open to take in the scene. Alphonse stood behind the shocked dedicate, hand held up as if pausing after a swift blow, and helmet held in his other. He had gotten up behind the man and hit him over the head with his armored fist before he could shoot me. Ed and I sighed in relief, myself sagging, and we made to move forward, thanking anyone listening for our nearly indestructible brother's resilience. A sudden scream peirced the air, fraying my already staggered nerves. With a wince I turned to regard Rose, whose hands were held over her heart in terror.

"You're empty inside! What are you!" She shouted, eyes glued to the empty cavern within Alphonse.

"It's ok, there's nothing to be afraid of. Oh, there she goes," Al sighed as Rose fled the room with a scream, dropping his hand dejectedly.

"Wait," Ed cried, leaping over the unconscious fanatic and chasing after the girl. Al and I swiftly followed him, feet pounding loudly down the dark hallway. We ran for a short time till we came to a another large chamber meant for gatherings, though this one was completely empty, devoid of both light and pews.

"I can't see church socials happening down here, can you," Ed said, glaring into the sinister room.

I spotted Rose through the gloom and called out to her. "Rose, wait! We can explain!"

The girl spun around. "No! Father Cornello was right, you are evil!"

"Ouch," I said, pulling my hand back with a sad smile, "that hurts my feelings."

A bright light blinded us as the other end of the room lit up. Squinting, we saw a figure standing at the top of a stone platform, light haloing him. It was Father Cornello, seeming disconcertingly calm despite having just ordered someone to shoot us. He smiled benignly down at Rose, and said in his booming voice, "Thank you child, for bringing these heretics here. You did well." The hapless woman turned around with a relieved smile, shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Father Cornello!"

"I was wondering when the State would send an Alchemist to interfere here," the old man said, turning his slim cold eyes and addressing us. "I wasn't expecting them to send the Fullmetal Alchemist, however." He was staring directly at Edward, for once not mistaking either Alphonse or me for Fullmetal.

"Well, there's just a couple of things I'm curious about, like how you're using Alchemy to deceive the people of Lior into following you," Ed said aggressively, his voice echoing in the large room.

"Everything I do is for the divine will of God," Cornello responded, irritatingly self assured. I scoffed. "Besides, can Alchemy do this?" The enrobed man merely raised his hand and a small statue was created seemingly out of nothing in a flash of red sparks.

"See, that's what I don't get." Ed said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "How could someone perform Alchemy without following the laws of Equivalent Exchange? Then I had a thought; if someone were to obtain a certain object, he could ignore those laws. Am I right?"

A frown pulled at Cornello's face momentarily before he smiled and held up his hand, seeming to regain his composure. "Oh, do you mean this," he asked tauntingly. Ed exposed his teeth in a fierce grin and I squinted to make out the object. On Cornello's middle finger was a ring with a small red stone on it. I frowned thoughtfully. It looked kind of like…

"Hey, Ed…"

He ignored me, too caught up in the moment. "Hand it over Cornello, that stone belongs to me now!"

"Oh, and why is that," the man said, grinning widely.

"If you don't, I'll tell everyone here that you have been deceiving them!"

"By doing what, restoring their town? Granting their wishes?" He snapped immediately and Ed grimaced, both of them heedless to the shocked gasp of a certain young woman beside them. "If you take this stone away, those miracles stop, and this town becomes as desolate as it once was, and no one wants that." The man opened a compartment on his cane and pushed a button. A Trapdoor slowly creaked open on the seemingly seamless wall behind us, causing my shoulders to tense and putting me on guard. "Since it appears Cray wasn't competent enough to get rid of you, I will have to do it myself."

The trapdoor clanked open, and and at first I could barely comprehend what I saw. But then it hit me like a sledgehammer, nearly stopping my heart with fear and absolute disgust. Walking towards us was a chimera, something I had fervently hoped to never see again, and something that should never have been conceived in the first place. "So this is the kind of sick stuff you do with the philosopher's stone, Father," I shouted furiously, "torturing animals and forcing them to fight for you!" The chimera was a grotesque mixture between a lion and an alligator. It stalked towards us threateningly and I pulled out my tonfa, holding the gleaming metal weapons in front of me protectively, a familiar and welcome weight in my hands. I heard another growl behind us and cursed. There were more?! Father Cornello smirked, and the creature in front of me lunged, taking full advantage of my distraction. Rose backed up against the wall with a whimper of fear as Edward, Alphonse and I were thrown into battle.

The creature jumped at me with a snarl and I rolled to the side swiftly. It swiped at me with its large reptilian tail and I flew back with a gasp, managing to just divert it with a sharp swipe my weapons. The blow left my arms momentarily stunned, but I was able to hold my tonfa at the ready, my body falling into it's training easily, despite the weeks of disuse. A familiar and comforting clank sounded from behind me, Alphonse joining my battle and protecting my back.

Behind me, Edward was having troubles of his own. The other chimera lunged at him, and he swiftly fell back, clapping his hands together sharply and drawing a spear from the floor. Cornello leaned forward in disbelief. "What! Alchemy without a transmutation circle? So the title isn't just for show, you really are gifted. Still, your little weapons are no match for a chimera that can bite through iron!"

As he spoke, the chimera swiped at Edward, breaking through the spear and claws squealing against his metal leg, shredding his pants. "Wrong leg, pal," Ed grit out. "And here's the right arm!" With is steel arm, Ed swung back and punched the chimera with all his might, crushing the creature's jaw and knocking it out cold. As the animal fell back, its brutal claws caught in Edward's jacket and shredded his sleeve as well. "Tch, dammit," Edward cursed, trying to pinch the fabric together. Alphonse and I stood back and watched, leaning over the chimera we had taken down as well.

"Wha- metal limbs? And a brother trapped in a suit of armor…Now I understand. You did the forbidden, what even the most novice of Alchemists knows not to do. You performed human transmutation!" Cornello laughed cruelly, and Ed's face contorted in fury.

"Why don't you come down here, and we'll see who's the novice!" He ripped off his ruined coat and revealed his automail arm fully, the metal shining in the dim light.

"Oh God…" Rose whimpered as she took in the brutal scars where the fake limb met his flesh.

"Take a good look, Rose. This is what happens when you try to play god and bring back the dead. Is this what you want!?"

"You want to be like God so much, I'll send you to him instead!" Cornello used Alchemy and transformed the staff he was holding into a machine gun, and Edward and I dove to the side as he began firing indiscriminately. In a flash of blue light, Edward erected a stone barrier to block the bullets from him and me.

"Whew, that was a close one," Ed chuckled nervously. I huffed out a laugh beside him.

Cornello growled and pointed the gun towards Alphonse, who was in front of the barrier, and the boy swiftly picked up Rose who was standing in the line of fire and carried her away under a rain of bullets. Rose huddled into Alphonse with a scream, shocked.

"Al, this way," Edward shouted, slamming his hands to a wall behind us and creating a door. Cornello screamed out in fury as Edward threw the doors open and we raced out into the hall.

o-0-o

"Well, that was exciting," I said, letting out a panting breath. We had left the church and were standing in a small alleyway in Lior, trying to catch our breaths from our flight. I was leaning heavily against the wall, Al still holding onto Rose beside me, and Ed was checking the street for pursuers. I thought back on all that had just happened, and something still bugged me.

"Hey, Ed. That stone…" He looked back at me questioningly, but Rose interrupted me and pulled Ed's attention away.

"Father Cornello…shot at me…" she said, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Like I've been trying to tell you Rose, he's been lying to you all this time," Ed said seriously.

"I don't believe it…" she whispered.

"He was, and I'll prove it to you," Edward look back out on the street and gestured for us to follow him. "I've got an idea."

I frowned in annoyance, believing that my observation was important, but we were already moving once more. I hoped I wouldn't forget later in the coming drama as I followed my brother into the twilight.

o-0-o

I sat on the large bell tower, my feet dangling precariously over the side, and watched the sun go down over the city. It was breezy up here, and the wind whipped my long hair around until I tugged it to submission.

Behind me, Alphonse tinkered with a large copper church bell we commandeered from the tower behind us while Rose looked on with confused eyes.

"What do you think of Cornello now, Rose," Alphonse asked in that gentle way of his. "He did not care that you were in the line of fire, and shot at us anyway."

"…" Rose looked away, brows drawn together. "What he said back there was true, wasn't it," she said eventually.

"We are not evil…all we wanted was to see our mom smile again. But our transmutation failed, and what we made…it wasn't her. Instead, we ended up destroying the life of another, and taking the mother from someone else." I hunched my shoulders, my old grief coming back to haunt me, and I could feel Rose's eyes burn into me because of my small movement.

"You don't mean," she started. Al interrupted before she could ask, and for that I was grateful.

"People don't come back from the dead, Rose. Not ever. Just the price of a failed transmutation was enormous. Ed ended up losing a leg, and I ended up losing my entire body." He stopped moving his hands for a moment and took off his helmet. "Do you see it," he asked, and I knew he was talking about the blood seal on the back of his armor, though I didn't turn around. "My brother drew that in there with his own blood to rescue my soul from the other side. He must have been in so much pain…but he still sacrificed his arm to save me."

Alphonse placed his head back on his body and continued to draw the transmutation circle he was working on. "That's why we need the Philosopher's Stone. I'm trying to find a way to get Edward and Alex back to the way they were, even as they are trying to do the same for me. It's a dangerous journey, and we might get killed along the way, but that is the path we chose. All we can do now is keep moving forward."

I looked out over the city in the setting sun, the buildings and the people so different from my old world, and yet so much the same. I felt homesickness as I had not in a long time after Alphonse's words, and I wondered not for the first time if our desperate quest was even possible. I felt like crying, but just like Alphonse and Edward, my tears were all dried up.

"But…Father Cornello said…just because you failed doesn't mean he will!" Rose exclaimed, her voice high and shrill. I winced.

Alphonse sighed and finished the transmutation with a flash. "Just listen."

He stood and hefted the reformed bell onto his large shoulder and pointed it towards the town.

"Let's just cut the crap, Cornello," Ed's voice boomed loudly at the newly built speaker, and Rose jumped, startled. It echoed clearly over the town, and from my precarious vantage point, I could see the people on the street below us pause in their wanderings. Good.

"I just have some questions about the stone you've been using to fool everyone in town with your second rate Alchemy. Tell me what I want to know, and I just might leave without getting the military involved."

A second voice growled over the speaker, and a door slammed. "What do you want to know?" Cornello's voice asked grudgingly.

Rose put a hand over her mouth with a small whimper.

"The Philosopher's Stone grants you incredible power over the physical world, even allowing you to use Alchemy without Equivalent Exchange. So why are you in this backwater town performing phony miracles? Got an inferiority complex or something?"

"Heh," Cornello grunted, "You are thinking too small, child. At my fingertips I have an army of the faithful to do my bidding, just with a couple small 'phony miracles', as you put it. With each miracle I attract new followers to the order who are unafraid to die." His voice grew in intensity and hubris. "Soon enough, no one will be able to stand in my way, and I will be able to rule this world with impunity. Who knows? I might even cut you a piece. Ahahaha…ha…why are you smirking?"

"Pft," Ed snorted, "all you guys are the same, no imagination. You really are a novice aren't you?"

"….Wha–How long has that speaker been on?!" Cornello screamed frantically. "Don't listen to him my children. It is a trick! Aaaah!" Gunfire was heard, and then the sound cut off abruptly.

Silence filled the town, and Alphonse shifted slightly. "He's been lying to you Rose. He's been lying to everyone."

Hokay, I'm going to cut it off here now. This chapter was getting pretty long. So wow, Alex has some kind of reaction to the red stone (and it is the red stone, not the Philosopher's Stone, because that would kinda defeat the main plot). I'm sorry if this chapter was a little tedious, but since Rose would be important later, I thought I should keep this part the way it was originally. I'll try not to do that too much in the future, and I'll try to keep this plot arch brief.

I actually really loved it when Ed told the story of Icarus. I'm kind of a Greek and Norse mythology geek so that made me a little excited. The story of Icarus is actually a pretty good one, so if you don't know it, you might want to look into it. It's cool.

To those of you who asked: the last chapter I did change perspective. I did it because 1) it was a nice break from first person for both myself and the reader, and 2) it eliminated the need for the characters to have long conversations about their feelings. Talks about feelings can be tedious as long dialogue sequences, so I took advantage of the omniscient perspective for a chapter to get some other points of view. don't worry, I'll only do that every once in a while to get certain points across.

Right! Next Chapter: Ed says words of wisdom, Lust makes devious plans, the Elric Brothers Three somehow become the Elric Brothers Five, and Alex smells something nice. See you next time!


	23. Chapter 23

How did you tell someone that their entire existence was a sham and that everything they had ever believed in was a lie?

By being vague, apparently.

Al and I slowly made our way down the stairs on the outside of the church, careful not to get shaken off the building by the many tremors we could feel from Edward's battle with Cornello. That kid really could be violent sometimes, I mused. I would have been concerned, but well, it was Ed. And he was more than a match for a man that was not even an alchemist, just an egomaniac with an alchemical booster. I wondered how that worked anyway. Did the stone just eliminate the need for all of the principles of Alchemy? Because I was pretty sure that Cornello was not capable of even the understanding of his components, let alone the visualization to create such beautiful works of art as we had witnessed in his demonstration. Still, I digressed. I barely understood Alchemy myself, so who was I to say what was and wasn't possible? Maybe Cornello was actually a genius? Hm…unlikely.

We stood at the entrance of the church, waiting for Edward to appear as the sun sank even lower on the horizon, the golden glow changing to deep orange. Rose stood behind us, stoic and silent, and I was slightly concerned for her. Al was equally as silent, having said his piece to the girl, and watching the entrance for his brother intently. Edward had told us not to interfere in his battle, and so we would wait.

With a resounding slam, Edward finally emerged. He looked worn out and irritated, a deep frown on his face and his flesh arm covered in bruises.

"So…?" I asked slowly when he didn't speak right away.

"It was a fake," he said sullenly.

My heart sank in disappointment, but really I wasn't surprised. It would have been too easy to find the Philosopher's Stone right off the bat. Fate just didn't work that way.

"But we did find out one thing," Alphonse said optimistically. "It is possible to create something that ignores the law of Equivalent Exchange, which means we have solid lead."

Edward nodded. "I still think the Philosopher's Stone is our best bet. If we could just–"

"How could you…" Rose suddenly interrupted him, speaking in a tense whisper. We looked up at her, and I was startled to see that she had tears in her eyes. "How could you just–just take away our hope like this? Everything was fine before you three showed up!" By the end she was shouting, her voice trembling with grief.

"Was it fine?" Edward asked softly. "You heard what he said, Rose. He was just using you and all the people of Lior. He took advantage of this city's drought to gain power, and that was all."

"But he said," she whispered, her voice strangled. "He said he could bring Cane back. What do I have to live for now that I know it will never happen? What do I do! Please, tell me what to do…" Tears streamed down the brunettes face, and she fell to her knees in despair.

"I can't tell you that. No one can…" Ed began to walk away, looking down at the stone beneath his feet. "Live for yourself from now on, and you will find you are strong enough to make your own decisions. A new path is before you, one without anyone else to tell you how to think, so find the truth on your own. Knowledge can be a painful burden, but in some ways, it is when we see the truth that we are the most free."

He strode away slowly without looking back, Alphonse, the physical embodiment of their sin, clanking slightly behind him. I watched their retreating backs for a moment before turning my gaze to the sobbing girl sitting on the steps of her ruined religion. Edward's words really weren't that helpful in her situation. She had just lost everything she had ever held dear, and the hope for ever returning to normal was gone. Not only that, but her situation ran painfully close to home. I had also lost the man I loved, maybe forever, so I understood how she was feeling. But Edward was right. There was nothing I could say that would ease her pain, and she needed to think for herself. It would not be easy, but she would be strong. I knew she would.

I turned away from her, ready to follow my brothers dramatically into the sunset, when a thought occurred to me.

We had forgotten our bags in the pilgrim's quarters.

o-0-o

"Aaaah." I took a deep breath of the mountain air, enjoying the atmosphere of the cool region we had traveled into. We were on our way back to Central, but after two days traveling by taxi in the desert heat, and then one on the uncomfortable train benches, I convinced Edward to allow us to stop at a small village called Xenotime.

It really didn't take much to convince him, since I knew he was just as uncomfortable as I was. And smelly. Both of us really needed a bath, since we literally hadn't had one since Lior. Whore's baths (quick washes in the sink) didn't count.

I stretched my arms above my head, invigorated by the cool air that was so refreshing after spending over a week in a desert.

"How can you be so energetic?" Edward griped from beside me, trudging along the dirt road. "Neither one of us has gotten any real sleep for days." He rubbed his tired eyes on the sleeve of his red coat, which he had remade with Alchemy. I wondered how many times on this journey he would remake that thing. For that matter, how many times would I ask Alphonse to do the same for me? It would probably be a lot considering how often we got into trouble.

"Beats me," I said, lifting my arms above my head. It was kind of strange though. I was oddly awake for someone who had been traveling so much without sleep. Whatever.

A little later, we walked through the city gates and got our first look at Xenotime. It was a pleasant village, with quaint buildings surrounded by scenic mountains. If I were in my original world, I would say we were in a place that looked a bit like pictures I had seen of New Zealand. It was amazing to me how quickly the climate had changed after passing the mountain range, but I guess it wasn't unusual. Something about pressure and cloud movement over high and low elevation. I was never good at science or geography, so the exact details escaped me.

"Damn, something smells really good," I said, taking a deep breath. There was a lovely scent in the air that made my mouth water. It was like a combination of the sweetest wine and my favorite food combined, but the exact flavors escaped me. Someone must have been cooking something divine.

"I don't smell anything," Ed grumbled irritably. "Hey look, there's an inn!" He rushed to the other side of the street, and Alphonse shook his head.

"I swear, he's like a little kid sometimes."

"Yay, bath!" I fist pumped in the air and raced after Edward, leaving Alphonse to sigh in my wake.

Edward quickly paid for a room for three, shoving money into the poor receptionist's hands and grunting out our names really fast when she asked. "Ed, Al, and Al," he said impatiently, taking the room key from the bewildered girl before racing up the stairs.

I shut the door behind us as we entered the small room. Like any other inn, it had the simple furnishings of beds, two dressers, and a bathroom. This one was a bit more luxurious than other inns we had been in, and definitely on par with a palace compared to sleeping on a hard train bench. The wonderful scent that I had smelled earlier seemed to be permeating from everywhere we went, and I inhaled deeply trying to place it.

I let out a sudden giggle, and Ed, who had been in the process of taking off his coat, gave me an odd look. "Hey, Al, guess what? I just realized. You're Al and…I'm Al! We are both Al. Get it. Alexander? Alphonse?"

"Um…yeah, I guess so…" Alphonse said, confused at my sudden odd behavior.

"Al and Al!" I giggled for a few more seconds…and then I realized that what I said wasn't funny. I cleared my throat awkwardly. Where did that come from?

"…Anyway," Ed said, "I'm going to take a bath. Then let's get something to eat."

I nodded, still slightly embarrassed about my outburst. When Ed was finished, I sank gratefully into the warm water of the bath and finally washed away all the crud that had collected on me whilst traveling. Finally clean (Al polished his armor), the three of us headed down to the restaurant part of the inn and had something to eat.

"This place is pretty ritzy," I said through my mouthful of potatoes. Looking around, I noticed that the walls were covered in glass cases containing pieces of gold jewelry.

"Xenotime is famous for it's gold mines, although recently I've heard that they have run dry," Ed said, grabbing a bread roll.

"Really…"

The dining room was pretty busy, and the conversation buzzed around us merrily. It didn't seem to me like the economic condition of this town was in jeopardy. "That's a shame," I said, "I love shopping for jewelry."

Edward gave me a strange look. "You like shopping for jewelry?"

"Well, yeah, it used to be one of my favorite things to do." I smiled sadly. "I would always shop with my mother and a couple of women on her side of the family." A pang of homesickness hit me for a moment as I recalled admiring my grandmother's jewelry. If things had not happened the way they did, I would have inherited her collection. In this world, I could not indulge in that passion without turning a few heads.

"You know, sometimes I forget that you were a girl. Especially since you've never acted particularly feminine," Ed said with a slight smile.

"Well…when I came to this world, I guess I sort of locked that side of myself away."

"You don't have to, you know," Ed said seriously. "Even though it isn't that common, there are men in this world that are effeminate. You don't have to hide who you really are to conform to how you think a man should act."

For a moment I was at a loss for words, shocked. I guess I had never really thought about it that way. I had been afraid that in this world, which seemed locked in the 1920's technology wise, I would be ridiculed for not acting masculine. "Is that okay? Wouldn't I be looked down upon?"

Ed snorted. "Do you think Teacher is looked down upon for being too masculine?"

I smiled. He had a good point. "Look," Ed continued, "even if others look down on you, you just need to beat respect into them until they don't."

"What brother is trying to say," Alphonse interjected hastily, "is that we and the people who care about you won't judge you for how you choose to be. Just be you."

I looked between the two boys, my mouth hanging slightly open. A wave of appreciation washed through me at their words, and it was as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. All this time, I had been trying to suppress my passions because I had not thought it was appropriate for my new body in this era. Now that they had put my mind at ease…I smiled and continued eating, the three of us falling into comfortable silence. I wanted to thank them, but I didn't think words were needed. Not anymore.

Two men walked into the bar, talking loudly over the buzzing around us. Slightly annoyed, I tried to tune them out, but to know avail.

"…like they made a new breakthrough," one man shouted, sounding excited. "It looks like we won't have to wait much longer before we can start selling gold again!"

Everyone in the restaurant looked over to observe, and slowly the buzz died down.

"You mean those kids actually did it," a man shouted from behind us. Excitement rose palpably in the room, and we looked around curiously.

"Not quite yet, but Mugear just told us that they are getting really close!" The people of the inn cheered.

"Excuse me," Alphonse said politely to a woman that was sitting at a table next to us, "but what are they talking about?"

The young woman looked slightly intimidated by Alphonse's appearance, but I gave her an encouraging smile and she smiled back. "He's talking about the Elric brothers creating the Philosopher's Stone to save Xenotime!"

"…"

For a few seconds all three of us sat in silence and replayed what she had said in our heads. At first, I felt alarm. How could they possibly know we were trying to find the Philosopher's Stone? But then I realized she couldn't possibly recognize us, or else she wouldn't be talking about us as if we were not there. Plus that guy had said that we had somehow made a breakthrough on creating one, but we had barely even heard of the thing, much less knew how to make it.

"Wait," Alphonse said. "Did you say the _Elric_ brothers were making a Philosopher's Stone?"

"That's right, the Elric brothers, Edward and Alexander. Edward is actually considered the hero of the people because of his exploits in Youswell, and he's an actual State Alchemist!"

We all looked at each other in confusion. "What about Alphonse Elric," I asked. The girl frowned in confusion.

"There are three Elric brothers? I thought there were only two. They are working on the stone up in Mugear's mansion in order to bring the mine back to life. Soon we will have our town's gold production back in business!" The girl gave an excited smile and turned back to her companions at her own table.

We looked at each other, shocked at what we just heard. Ed stood abruptly and gestured for us to follow. We left the inn and walked to a small park, away from prying ears.

"So…what the actual–"

"Alex!"

"Heh, sorry Al. But seriously. What is going on here?"

Ed sat on a park bench and folded his arms. "Obviously someone is trying to use our names to create a Philosopher's Stone."

"But why would they need to do that?"

"State Alchemist's get a lot of respect. Maybe they are just second rate and needed our names to get the credit to be trusted with the project."

"And there must only be two of them, which is why one of us got left out," Al said, slightly miffed.

"Hey, just be happy someone isn't impersonating you," Ed said, equally angry. "I'd love to get my hands on whoever it is and teach them a lesson."

"That aside," I waved my hand beside my face, "do you really think they can make a stone? Does it even have the capability to create gold?"

"Sure, it can theoretically make anything," Al said. "Creating gold is strictly forbidden, though. I wonder why they are so open about talking about it. Aren't they afraid the State will get involved?"

"Could be another reason why they need our names. Maybe they think that if Edward is involved, it means that the State won't interfere."

"Idiots," Ed grunted. "If they think that, they must be out of their minds. If that much gold were suddenly created, it would be a problem for everyone. Inflation and all that. The military would be all over this place like bugs on candy."

I made a weird face as I imagined that disturbing image. "Still, if they are really attempting to make the stone, then we should definitely check it out."

"Yes, let's," Ed said, standing up with an incensed expression. "No one gets to use my name without my permission. It's time to pay these imposters a visit." He cracked the knuckles on his flesh hand.

"That might be difficult though. We can't just say who we are now. No one will believe us," Al reasoned.

"We'll break in of course!" Ed rubbed his hands together.

"And then what, burn the place down?" Al said sarcastically.

"…Maybe."

"Ed!"

o-0-o

I lay awake in the bed beside Edward who snored softly in slumber. The sun was just going down, but we had decided to get some rest before we headed to Mugear's mansion to investigate. Only problem with that was…I couldn't sleep. I was too excited. For some reason, this town had me jumping off the walls. I turned on my side and tried to get my whirring mind to rest so I would have enough energy to spy later, but I soon had to give up.

I sat up with a sigh. Alphonse, who had been reading quietly while we rested, looked at me over his book. "What's the matter?"

I shrugged my shoulders and wandered over to where he was sitting. I peered over his shoulder to see what he was reading. Was that…a romance novel?

"Wow, Al, I never pinned you as the romantic type."

"I'm not, really. There was just nothing to read in the library downstairs but this." He looked down at the pages. "The hero of this story is a bit silly. He seems to think that as long as he loves someone enough, he can claim that person even if they don't love him back."

"That actually sounds kind of dark."

"It's subtext. I think it's supposed to be a light, happy story, but I'm just cynical."

"You are way to young to be saying that, kid."

"Yeah, well, technically you're two." So there, he seemed to say. Not really sure how to respond to that without giving myself a headache, I grumbled and went back to bed. It took a while, but I was finally able to nod off.

Later that night, or should I say early morning, I ran in between Edward and Alphonse as we dashed across an open space in the garden we were lurking in beside Mugear's mansion. Alphonse was making so much noise, it was a wonder the guards hadn't heard us yet. We stopped along the side of the stone wall of the large house, and I regained my breath as Edward checked around the wall to see if anyone had noticed us. I tugged my jacket around my shoulders. It was a bit chilly.

Edward moved back into the shadows and motioned for us to stand aside. With a quiet clap of his hands and a not so subtle flash of lightning, he created small door and swung it open. I giggled as both Alphonse and I had to bend over to get through it, but Ed walked through upright. He glared over his shoulders and held a finger in front of his mouth, shushing me, and I stifled my laughter with my hand. I stumbled a bit when I climbed over the threshold, but neither boy seemed to notice.

We entered into a library. Books lined every wall, and I was uncomfortably reminded of Tucker's library. Then I saw that the moon was filtering through a window. Pretty…

Edward and Alphonse immediately began looking through the books, although Ed was merely handing things for Alphonse to read, since the suit of armour had perfect night vision.

"All of these books are about the Philosopher's Stone," Alphonse whispered.

"So this must be where they are making it, no doubt about it. Hey Alex, could you…Alex what are you doing," Ed whispered, irritated.

That…was a good question. I was staring up at the moon, my mouth hanging slightly open and a dazed expression on my face. It just felt so nice to stand there and…breathe. Everything felt nice. Mmmm.

"In case the guards weren't a clue, this place is off limits. What are you doing here," a smooth male voice said, causing us to whip around in surprise. I squinted in the sudden light. Standing in the doorway was a tall blonde man, his hair swept beside his face in a classic style that I had only ever seen male models pull off. Behind him stood a young boy, no older than ten by my estimates.

"So you're the one's who have been stealing our names," Ed said angrily.

"Ah, I see," the man said, slowly walking forwards. "You must be the real Elric brothers. I take it that that means you are the real Ed, in the suit."

Al pointed at himself, "Um, no I'm Alphonse."

The blonde man widened his eyes in surprise. "You're the youngest brother? Then…" He looked over at me.

"For you, handsome, I'll be anyone," I giggled, my words slightly slurred.

"Wha–No! I'm Edward dammit! How does everyone always get that wrong," Ed seethed.

The man looked away from me, his face still a little disturbed, and glared at Ed. "Why don't you tone it down a notch, unless you want the guards to realize you are here. I'm afraid I need your name for just a little longer, so why don't you just leave."

"Are you trying to pick a fight with me," Ed grit through his teeth. The Edward imposter stopped to stand right in front of him, and Ed had to crane his neck to even look him in the eye. The muscle in Edward's neck twitched.

"I don't want to fight you, Ed, so why don't you turn around and go home. Leave us to take care of things around here." The blonde lifted his head and smirked down at Edward.

Uh oh. Ed really didn't like to be looked down on. With a furious expression, Ed whipped his fist into the imposter's face. The man caught it. "Well well, an automail arm. So the real Ed has seen some action too."

"And I'm glad you've got some skills," Ed grinned evilly, "cause I wouldn't want you to damage my reputation!" Ed snapped his leg up and hit the taller boy in the chin. He fell back with a grunt.

"Ed, not his face! You'll ruin it," I yelled from across the room.

"Dammit, Alex, stop taking his side," Ed shouted, momentarily distracted by my nonsense. Taking advantage, the fake Ed punched the boy in the face, and Edward slid back into the bookshelves behind him.

"Hey," I shouted, suddenly angry. I pulled out my tonfa and lunged forward, whipping one of the weapons around. Inexplicable power suddenly surged through me, and I would have decapitated the boy if he hadn't dodged at the last moment. My tonfa crashed into the shelves in front of me, pulverizing the wood. I stared at it dumbly as the battle continued behind me. What the heck…?

The young kid, the blonde guy's brother, who had been standing to the side stared at me with wide eyes, but ducked behind the door as I looked over at him. I breathed in deeply to calm myself… and began to giggle uncontrollably. My tonfa were just so _green_ …

I was jerked back by the collar of my shirt, and I gagged, spinning around to run with Edward, who was pulling me along roughly. "What the hell's wrong with you? We need to get out of here!"

"M'kay," I said with a bright smile, running after my two retreating brothers amid the sound of shouting guards.

Some time later, we sat on a hill on the outskirts of town to catch our breaths.

"Brother, did you see that? He was using Alchemy without a transmutation circle."

"Yeah! He _had_ to be using some kind of booster! When I get my hands on that guy…and _you_! What the hell was that?"

I held my tonfa up to the moonlight, amusing myself as I watched it change colors as I moved it. Green, black, green, black…heh…I looked over at Edward's infuriated face and started giggling uncontrollably again. The boys watched me in confusion. _Ed's so angry…heh…heheh…wait…that's not funny._ I froze and my smile slowly dropped from my face. Why was I laughing?

"Alex," Alphonse asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

I sat up abruptly, causing Ed and Al to jump. Just what had I been doing up to that point? I vaguely remembered that blonde guy, and fighting…and somehow breaking a bookshelf…but it was all kind of blurry. Alphonse came over and lightly touched my arm. His concern filtered through our link.

"You don't feel ill…" he said uncertainly.

I shook my head. "I have no idea what happened. I feel fine…"

"Well," Ed said, flipping open his watch to check the time. "It's really late. Maybe you are just tired. Let's head back to the inn, and we can figure all this out in the morning."

"Ok…" I said. Al and I exchanged a look, doubtful. We could both feel that I wasn't tired in the least. In fact, I felt like I could run a marathon. I shrugged and he stepped back, and we followed Ed back to the inn. I hoped that in the morning, Ed would help me figure this out. Something strange was going on in this town, and something strange was going on inside of me. All I knew was that tonight I would be getting no sleep.

 _Wows guys, there is a LOT of foreshadowing in this chapter. Some of the stuff I put in here should make sense later, so trust me, it's not random. I do plan these things...sometimes._

 _Poor Alex. He has no idea what's happening. Laughs evilly._

 _Am I making Alphonse too much of a stiff? Maybe I should give him a few comedy lines...Anyway, next chapter: why are so many people sick? And Alex stops eating. Alex, what's wroooooong!_


	24. Chapter 24

I growled in annoyance. There was nothing wrong with me. I felt fine. Great even! So why were my brothers staring at me with those concerned faces? Ok…so I had been acting a little strange. A lot strange. But I wasn't in any pain, and I felt like I could take on the whole world and not break a sweat.

I guess I couldn't really blame them though. After we got back to the hotel, Ed had immediately passed out on his bed, without even taking off his clothes. I…didn't. I tried to wind down, but it was like my veins were buzzing, and I could not force myself to be still. Alphonse watched me for a while before asking for the fourth time if I was feeling all right.

"Yes," I groaned, quietly so as not to disturb Edward. The boy slept on, softly snoring. "That's what's bothering me though. I don't really remember what happened, but I feel like a million bucks."

"Bucks?" Alphonse tilted his head to the side.

"Erm, it's a term for currency back where I'm from."

"Oh." Silence fell over us for a few moments as I continued to pace. "Well…" Al continued, "If you can't sleep, how about you let me help you calm down?" He patted the spot beside him, and I considered.

"It might just get you riled up too, though," I said uncertainly.

Alphonse shook his head. "No, I think I've got a handle on myself. Come here."

I hesitated, but then nodded and walked over. I sat against him carefully, and allowed his emotions to wash over mine. For a few seconds my unrest coursed through both of us, but then Alphonse's usual calm presence slowly calmed me down, his rock-steady tranquility soothing my unease. My heart rate slowed, and I could feel myself relax.

"How are you always so centered," I asked him languidly.

"I have to chase you and Edward around all the time. One of us has to be collected, and it's not going to be brother, I can tell you that much."

I chuckled and allowed myself to relax against his cool metal body. That was how Edward found us in the morning. I had gotten no sleep whatsoever, but with the help of Alphonse I was able to loosen a bit.

Ed sat up from his slumber, discretely wiping away the drool on the side of his face. He looked around blearily, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. He always felt sore if he left his braids in overnight, but he had been so tired that he forgot. He spied Alphonse and me leaning against each other, watching the sunrise peak over the mountains.

"Alex, have you been awake all night?"

Alphonse and I nodded as one, although Ed had only been addressing me. It was a kind of side affect for us being in contact for too long. Hm…might come in handy some day if we want to do a ventriloquist gig. I smiled, and Alphonse shared in my amusement.

"Couldn't sleep," Al and I said at the same time. We pulled away from each other, and I shook off my whole body as I felt his presence leave me. Man, I don't think we've ever been in contact that long. I noted the effects and thought that maybe it wasn't something we should do too often.

Immediately upon our separation, my tension returned in a burst of energy, although it wasn't as powerful as before. Whatever was happening, Alphonse had held it off, at least for a little while.

Ed looked at me in concern. "Are you feeling alright? Last night you were acting off."

"Yeah, I think I'm good."

Ed gave me a look, and then shrugged, beginning his morning routine. After cleaning up, we went down the stairs to the restaurant to get some breakfast. Edward piled his plate high with food, and I did the same, although I didn't feel particularly hungry. We sat at a table by a window, other guests trickling in slowly. Ed immediately began scarfing down his food with his usual vigor, and I brought my first bite to my lips…and stopped. It wasn't that I didn't feel _particularly_ hungry; I wasn't hungry at all.

"What's up, Alex? You don't like pancakes," Al asked.

Don't like pancakes? _Don't like pancakes_? I _loved_ pancakes. I just… "I'm not hungry."

"Not hungry," Ed said through a mouthful of food. He looked out the window at the barely risen sun. "Well, it is still kind of early…"

"No, I mean I'm not hungry at all. I feel like I've just eaten."

"But you haven't, not since yesterday afternoon," Al said. I looked down at my plate, feeling no desire at all to eat anything. Maybe there _was_ something wrong with me. I was _always_ hungry.

"Maybe I should take you to the pharmacy. You could be coming down with something," Al suggested.

"Yeah," I said, a bit unsettled. Maybe it was nothing, but something was niggling at the back of my mind, something I was sure I had forgotten.

When Ed was finished eating, he wandered off, claiming that he was going to do some investigating. Al and I wandered through the town, following the instructions someone had given us to find a pharmacy. As we walked around I was greatly enjoying the cool air, and despite my worry, I began to feel that same giddy feeling I had been experiencing since coming to Xenotime.

Al kept looking around us, his armor clanking. "What's up, Al," I asked, wondering what had gotten his attention.

"Have you noticed that there are a lot of sick people in this town?"

I looked around as well, observing the people a little more closely. At about every fourth person, one would be coughing or looking worn down. "Maybe there is a bug going around…"

"Maybe," Al said uncertainly. I looked at him curiously, but he did not expand.

When we reached the pharmacy, we paused. "Wow, there are a ton of people here," I observed redundantly. The corner store was filled to the brim with people that had the same symptoms, a cough and what seemed to be exhaustion, as the people we had seen in town. "Maybe we should just leave. These people are way worse off than I am."

"But I would still feel better if we had you looked at…"

"Al," I said in exasperation. "I'm fine." Probably.

"Um…" a small voice asked. Al and I looked over to see the young boy that had been with the Edward imposter the night before. His brother, I guessed. He had blonde hair like the older teen, which he held back with green ear mufflers, and bright blue eyes. "If you need medicine, I could probably get you some…"

"Aren't you the kid who's impersonating me," I asked, my tone light. Despite that though, the young boy flinched as if I had struck him.

"I'm sorry…"

"Whoa, it's ok, I'm sure you and your brother have your reasons," I said hastily.

He looked up with doleful eyes. "You aren't mad?"

"Eh, I'm glad it's such a cute kid. Have to keep my reputation you know," I said, bringing my hands up to my face and making a comical cute expression. The boy giggled and Alphonse and I glanced at each other. With Alphonse's instructions he ran into the drug store, weaving in and out of the crowd. Al and I waited a little ways off, sitting on an old bench in the park.

The boy handed over some medicine with a contrite expression. "Thank you very much," Alphonse said politely, taking the white bag. "I guess both of us have brothers who let their tempers get the better of them," he said, starting a conversation.

"I'm sorry," the boy started. "For us to work with Mugear, we had to have some credibility. The only way for my brother to claim to be a State Alchemist as a teenager was to pretend to be the famous Edward Elric. I became Alex because we heard you were so much bigger than me, and we didn't want it to be too suspicious."

"Do you really want a Philosopher's Stone that badly?"

"My father," the boy said, looking down, "devoted his entire life to the research of the Red Stone."

"So he was an Alchemist as well."

"Yes. One day, he just disappeared. Out of love for my father, brother insists on completing his research."

"That's the opposite of my family," Alphonse said, looking up. I listened curiously. The brothers had never spoken much about their family. "My brother hates our father. He was also an Alchemist, and brother despises him for it. He was obsessed with the science, and our mother suffered because of it, especially when he left us."

This was news to me. They had never spoken about their father, but he must have been something special to produce these two geniuses. I guess that explained why their mother had been raising them alone.

"On our journey, my brothers and I have met many other people who have suffered because of alchemy. Listen, if your brother is doing something you know is wrong, be brave and stop him. If someone else has to intervene, it will only hurt him all the more. Trust me, I know."

Boy, did he. If Alphonse had been able to stop Edward that night, then none of us would be in the situation we were in now. Did Al blame himself for that…?

We walked in silence for a few moments. "Hey," Al said, "have you noticed that there are a lot of people with coughs in this town?"

The boy jumped and averted his eyes. "No, why?"

"Well–" The boy suddenly froze, causing me and Al to stop. At the end of the street from us, the Edward imposter looked down on us coldly.

"Um, it's time for me to go," the boy said apologetically. Before he could run off, Al stopped him.

"Wait! What's your real name?"

The boy smiled happily. "It's Fletcher." He ran to his brother's side and the two moved out of sight.

"Hm…What do you think we should do," I asked Al, looking where the two had disappeared.

"Well, for right now, we should find Ed. And you should take that medicine."

I grumbled to myself. I felt fine, and I was certain it wouldn't do anything. Ed chose that moment to show his face, running around the corner in a dead sprint.

"Ed!" I shouted in surprise as he nearly bowled me over. The boy skidded to a stop and spun around looking around us intensely.

"Al, that imposter is around here somewhere. Have you seen him?"

"…No." I glanced up in surprise. Why was Al lying? Ed strode towards us angrily.

"Did you know that he's been going around town, fixing broken tools an wheels?"

"Um…and that's a bad thing," I asked, confused.

"No, it's not that! It's the way he's doing it! He's completely ignoring the law of Equivalent Exchange."

"You don't think he actually did it, do you? Created a Philosopher's Stone," Al asked, slightly excited.

"I don't know, but we are _going_ to find out."

o-0-o

That night, we found ourselves outside of Mugear's mansion for the second time. This time, I was paying strict attention to how I was feeling. As we got closer to the building, I noticed that my head was becoming a bit fuzzy.

Edward glanced about as we stopped behind a bush, looking intently for gaurds. Finding none, we rushed forward, and Edward's braid was waving erattically as he ran. I became immediately distracted. Heh….back forth…back forth…I shook my head vigorously. What was going on…?

We stopped at the same wall we had infiltrated before. I noticed with amusement that Ed's door had been converted back to how it was. "Alright, this time we go for 'operation mole hole,'" Ed whispered. He clapped his hands together and placed them on the ground. A flash of light later, there was a hole with piles of displaced dirt around it. Edward climbed in first, then Alphonse, then me. I followed behind Alphonse languidly, my vision blurring slightly at the edges. Heh…mole hole…I'm a mole! Hehe…I actually brought my hand to my face to check if I had whiskers…that would be cool…

I breathed in deeply. What was that wonderful scent? It seemed to be getting stronger the farther we went.

"Ok, I think we are right under the mansion now," Ed said from somewhere in front of me.

"Are you sure," Al asked.

"Nope, but we have to come up somewhere." He clapped his hands and put them above his head, completing the tunnel. "Bingo."

Air rushed in, rustling my hair slightly. I froze, my muscles seizing as I got a full blast of what had been making me giddy since coming to Xenotime. Sparks ran up and down my body in a disturbingly familiar way…and then I blacked out.

o-0-o

Edward climbed out of the tunnel he had created, his brothers close behind him, and paused in surprise. Before him was a stream cut into a cement indention on the floor, flowing quickly into the darkness to his left. It was not water, like he would have expected for what he guessed was the sewer system, but a red substance that let off a noxious pink gas.

Ed placed a hand on his chin, and he went through the catalogue of his remembered information, text flying behind his eyes at light speed. Then it clicked.

"So that's their plan."

"What is it?"

"This is the chemical used to produce the Red Stone. I remember reading about it in the library in Central. It's a chemical full of alchemic catalysts, that if put under enough pressure, crystalizes into a stone."

"Like the Philosopher's Stone?"

Ed snorted, "More like a cheap imitation." He looked up at Al. "I think it was some Alchemist named Nash or something that was researching the Red Stone. If I remember correctly it's highly toxic. We should get out of here as soon as possible–Alex, what are you doing! Get away from there," he shouted, suddenly panicked. Alex was crouched beside the stream, his hair hiding his face, and he was about to place his bare hand in the liquid. Alphonse quickly grabbed onto his shoulder.

"Ah!" Alphonse shouted in alarm as red sparks jumped from Alex's body and prevented the boy from touching him. Alex looked up slowly at what had disturbed him, and both brother's recoiled in shock. Alex's normally green eyes were a bright magenta, the same color as the red water.

"What the hell–" Ed gasped, then began hacking violently. "Al," he wheezed, "I can't breathe…" Ed collapsed forward, and Alphonse caught him.

"Brother!" He looked desperately over to Alex, who had turned back around and leaned down closer to the water. "Alex! Don't!" Alphonse snatched the back of Alex's jacket and pulled him violently away from the red water, causing him to slam back into the concrete wall. Alex shuddered for a moment before falling still, his eyes wide open and empty. Alphonse looked between the two comatose boys in fear. _What do I do, what do I do!_

"Over here!" Light suddenly pooled into the room and an urgent voice called out to him. It was the boy, Fletcher. He had a brown breathing mask over his nose and mouth.

"It's you!"

"Hurry!"

Alphonse nodded and quickly scooped Alex and his brother in his arms. He staggered at the sudden onslaught of feelings from the teen with a gasp. What the…? He slammed his mental shields up as best as he was able and got the two boys out of the steaming tunnel

Fletcher quickly led Alphonse out and slammed the door behind him. He led him to a room some ways away from the door and frantically began searching for something. "Fletcher, what's wrong with them," Al asked, slightly panicked. Fletcher seemed to find what he was looking for and handed one over to Alphonse. It was a facemask similar to the one he was wearing.

"Put this on your brother," he instructed sharply as he placed the mask on Alex, who still hadn't responded to all the movement, though his eyes were wide open. Alphonse quickly complied, placing the mask over Edward's face.

Immediately, both blonds began to breathe easier. Ed came to first. He opened his eyes slowly. "Brother, are you alright," the worried boy asked. Edward didn't respond at first, but then he sat up with a gasp.

"Al what–where am I?" His voice came out muffled, and he lifted his hand to the face mask in confusion. Fletcher moved slightly, and they boy's golden eyes snapped to him. "What is he doing here?"

Fletcher flinched. "I'm sorry," he said meekly.

"Huh? What are you sorry for, what did you do?"

"No, it's not what you did," Al said, "it's what you didn't do, right Fletcher? If you know something, tell us. I get the feeling you don't like what's going on here."

Fletcher looked stricken, but slowly nodded. "That red water you saw is a toxic substance that's been polluting the whole town. It's what's been causing the sickness that has been plaguing this place. But it's…the vital ingredient for creating the red stone…I'm so sorry…" Fletcher dropped his face into his hands and sobbed. Ed and Al glanced at each other, Ed's expression serious.

"Fletcher, you–" Ed was cut off by a sudden groan, and the boys all snapped their attention to Alex.

"Alex!" Ed and Al scrambled to the boy's side. He blinked his eyes slowly, but they were still the color of red water. He looked over at his brothers blearily. "Ed….Al…what happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Ed said frantically. "What the hell were you thinking, getting so close to the red water! It's toxic!"

"Red water…" Alex mumbled through the mask. "What's that…?"

"Brother, I don't think he remembers," Al said worriedly.

"What is going on here," Ed said, his brow furrowed in concern. He lifted is flesh hand to Alex's forehead to check for fever, but pulled back immediately as red sparks emitted from the teen. "What the…"

"That's strange," Fletcher said, peering into the barely conscious boy's magenta eyes. "I have never seen anyone react to red water like this…"

"When I was carrying him earlier, I got a bit of what he was feeling," Al said. "It was the most intense thing I have ever felt, even when I had a body. It was like every nerve was going off at once."

"What? He's in that much pain?" Ed said, alarmed.

Al shook his head. "No…I don't really know how to describe it…it felt really _really_ good…like…I don't know, having hot soup after being in the snow for hours? No, it was much more powerful than that…I've never experienced anything like it."

"What do you mean, 'it felt good'! He completely blacked out and it's like he's lost his memory–" Ed cut himself off. "Wait a sec. Al do you remember in Lior when Alex took some kind of medicine from that woman that has been stalking him? Did he ever tell us what color it was?"

"No…you don't think it was the Red Stone, do you," Al said, distressed, "Isn't it supposed to be highly toxic?"

"Yes, but Alex is…" he glanced over at Fletcher, who was looking at them curiously. "Alex is… a special case."

"You don't mean that–"

"Think about it, Al. The Red Stone is a powerful alchemical catalyst."

Al stood suddenly. "We need to get him out of here, now!"

Ed nodded in agreement and stood as well. "First thing's first, let's demolish this lab."

"I can't let you do that," a harsh voice came from the other side of the room. Ed turned around to find none other than his imposter standing by the closed doorway. "Not after we have finally created a Red Stone. My father gave everything he had to this research, and we are not leaving after we have made such an amazing breakthrough."

Ed growled in anger. "Your father wouldn't happen to be Nash Tringham would it? Does he know that the red water is polluting this town? Or maybe he was as sick as you and didn't care either!" Behind him, he heard Alphonse move over the still form of their barely conscious brother.

Fletcher gasped from somewhere behind him and the blonde imposter grimaced in fury. He grabbed a lamp behind him, and while holding the Red Stone, he transmuted it into a dangerous looking sword.

"Ha! A cheap sword from a cheap imitation! Let me show you what real Alchemy can do!" Ed clapped his hand and whipped his flesh over his automail arm, transforming the steel into a sharp blade over his fist. He rushed forward with a shout, and the two blades locked together with a clash.

The boys pushed back and forth, equal in strength. The imposters blade cracked under Edward's and the shorter boy grinned smugly. "Heh, mine's the genuine article."

The fake Edward gnashed his teeth in frustration and threw his knee into the other boy's gut, causing him to stumble back with a gasp.

The imposter slapped his hand against the steel door behind him, and in a flash of red sparks, created a large hose which he pointed at Edward. "Back off! If you get splashed by the red water you will lose more than just your consciousness. You'll die."

"Let it rain!" Ed shouted, transmuting a nearby stool into a wooden umbrella.

"Ed this is crazy, stop!"

"Brother, don't," Fletcher pleaded, but it was too late. With a shout, the imposter let lose a torrent of red water which bounced off of Edward's impromptu umbrella and sprayed across the room.

"You should listen to your brother Edward. Just leave and you can live!" Tringham shouted.

"There's no way I'm running from someone who wants to be just. Like. Daddy!" Ed grunted. As he tried to step forward, he tripped and had to desperately stumble out of the way. The red water spewed out unhindered and went right for– "Al! Alex!"

Al gasped in terror and threw himself over the other boy, hoping to deflect the water. Al braced himself…but it never came. He looked over his shoulder and gasped in surprise. "Fletcher!"

The boy had thrown himself in front of Al an Alex, and he lay twitching on the floor in pain, covered in red water. Alphonse hurredly helped the boy up. Fletcher looked blearily at the older Tringham. "Brother…the reason dad wanted to create the Red Stone was to make people happy and their lives easier. What we are doing is wrong! The cost is too high, and instead of helping others, we are making them suffer! Dad would be ashamed of what we are doing. Don't you see, it doesn't matter who gets the credit anymore!"

Trimgham lowered the nozzle, a stricken expression on his face. "But…This research was everything to father…we have to finish it…"

"No, you don't." Ed said strongly. "Be your own person. Your father _left_ you for this research. Causing this much trouble for someone who _abandoned_ you and Fletcher is not worth it!"

Tringham's shoulders sagged. "No…he loved us…don't you _dare_ –"

Loud banging rattled the door, breaking the tension in the room. "Mr. Edward! Are you okay in there?"

"I'm fine!" Tringham shouted, snapping out of his shock. "Dammit, I told them never to bother me in here."

"Heh," Ed snorted tensely, "I guess they don't trust you as much as you thought."

Tringham growled, but didn't say anything. Fletcher squirmed out of Alphonse's grasp and pointed to a door on the other side of the room. "Quick, in here!" He gestured them into a storage closet. Ed glanced at his comatose brother and the door.

"Damn," he said angrily, lifting Alex with a grunt and carrying him inside, Alphonse following closely behind. He shot one last look at Tringham before Fletcher closed the door and threw them into darkness.

"Do you think they'll keep quiet about us," Al whispered.

"I don't know," Ed said back, "but we can't fight them all. Not with Alex in the condition he's in."

"Ed…what's going on…?" Alex mumbled, stirring slightly in Edward's arms.

"Alex!" Ed whispered urgently. "Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?" Edward felt the boy shake his head.

"I can't see…"

"Yeah, we are kinda in a closet."

"Ed," Al said suddenly. "His eyes are back to normal."

"How can you tell, it's pitch dark in here?"

"I can see in the dark."

"Oh…right."

The boys fell silent as it sounded like the door was finally broken through. "Aaaah! What have they done to my lab," an older sounding man exclaimed.

"Mugear." Tringham said.

"Ah…good to see you two aren't harmed. Is the Red Stone damaged?" The man's voice dripped with insincerity.

"No need to worry sir, it's safe."

"Good, good. But our schedule has just been tightened. We need to move straight into our contingency plan."

"But sir," Tringham sounded alarmed. "There is no need for that! We have been making excellent progress!"

In the closet, Alex finally sat up and shook his head, the fog clearing from his mind thanks to the filtering mask. "What–"

Alphonse and Edward shushed him, listening intently.

"Brother," they heard Fletcher say, "what does he mean by contingency plan?"

"Fletcher–"

"What, you mean you haven't told him," Mugear said cruelly, and Edward grit his teeth in anger.

"No–"

"The plan is to insert the red water into pregnant women. It permeates their placenta, a factory of biological condensing. Once the process is complete, we take the product and transmute it into a stone."

"What the hell…" Alex exclaimed.

They heard Fletcher gasp. "Brother, you didn't–"

"No! I never! You shut up–" Tringham shouted.

"You know, there was once another Alchemist who wouldn't do what I told him. He had to be…taken care of."

"What–You–What is that–Aagh!" Underneath the door, the boys saw a flash of red light, and they tensed in alarm when they heard the Tringhams' scream.

"You like it? With this machine, even a non-Alchemist like myself has options. You think I'm a fool don't you? You think that I don't know that the true Edward Elric has an automail arm, or that you two are the sons of Nash Tringham! Now, do as I say, and implement phase two!"

A tense silence filled the air, and Edward seriously wondered whether Tringham would accept. "Just tell me one thing, Mugear," the older Tringham eventually spoke, fury shaking his voice. "Did my father ever use that method on anyone?"

"…No. At the last minute the fool had a crisis of morality."

"And you killed him, didn't you!"

"That's right, and I'll do the same to you and your precious brother if you don't cooperate."

"GO TO HELL–Aaagh!"

Edward had had enough. He slammed the door open and strode out. "Elegantly put."

Ed's golden eyes flickered around the room, taking in the scene. An old man was holding some kind of glass bowl full of red water. He was pointing it at the Tringham's, who had been bound and thrown to the floor.

"What the–Who are you," the old man spluttered.

"Oh, no one, just the _real_ Edward Elric." Ed came to a stop and his brothers stood slightly behind him.

"Ah, so you are! Looks like I won't be needing you boys after all," Mugear said to the Tringhams cruely. He turned to Edward. "What do you say, Mr. Elric? I heard you were interested in the Philosopher's Stone. The Red Stone is a prototype for the real thing." Ed grimaced in disgust. "If you were to help me, I'm sure–"

"If you think," Alex said harshly, taking a threatening step forward, "that we would help you," he stepped forward again, and Alphonse gasped in alarm, "Alex, wait!"

"–help you murder _women and unborn children_ ," he took another step forward and Al tried to stop him, but a red spark blew his hand back. "–to finish you fucking _greed project_ –" the enraged teen pulled out his tonfa, and Mugear took a frightened step back, "then that's the last mistake you will ever make in your life!" He surged forward and stepped right into the puddle of red water on the floor.

"Alex, no!" Ed said, trying to reach Alex, but they were all thrown back as, with a scream, Alex absorbed all of the red water in the room. Sparks flew everywhere and a violent wind pushed everyone back. Alphonse threw his metal arm over Edward, protecting him and blocking his vision.

When the wind calmed, Edward frantically pushed Al's arm out of the way and tried to see Alex through the steam. He was crouching on the floor, holding himself. Ed made to move forward, but he froze when Alex stood. He opened his eyes, and the irises that had just begun to turn back to green glowed red, even in the bright light of the room. Alex looked over at Edward and Alphonse, and for the first time Ed met his eyes and felt fear.

 _Wow guys, has anyone noticed that my chapters are getting longer and longer? I wonder if that will continue..._

 _Waaa! What's going to happen! Even I don't know that yet! Well, I kinda do, but you guys will just have to wait and see. Good job to those who figured out that Alex was behaving strangely because of the red water. I originally wasn't going to do the Tringham Arch at all, but I figured it would be a good chance to expand on Alex's reaction to the Red Stone. It's only going to get more intense from here on out, so hold on to your seats!_

 _Thanks for all the reviews! I'm telling you, every time I get a new review, I want to start writing the next chapter immediately. It makes me that happy, so please continue to send me your love! Next Chapter: Alex gets angry, and some plants may or may not be harmed in the making of this chapter. See you next time!_


	25. Chapter 25

I stood slowly as the last of the red sparks faded away. I felt good. _Really_ good. I felt…powerful. My nerves still tingled, and every few seconds another wave of pleasure rushed through me, causing me to twitch. It was nearly enough to knock me out from sensation overload, but not quite.

This time I did not feel that haze that had been plaguing me the past few days. My head was clear as crystal, sharper than normal even. It was like this door had opened and my thoughts ran at one hundred miles an hour, cataloguing every sensation I was experiencing. My vision was sharper. My blood pumped stronger. And I felt like I could take down a building with my bare hands.

Movement to my left caught my attention, and I looked over slowly, still riding on the high of what was quickly becoming my favorite feeling.

A boy stood next to a suit of armor, and he was holding his hand out as if to reach me. _Edward_ , my mind supplied. I looked into the armor's eyes, and he flinched. _Alphonse_.

"Alex," the suit said, but I ignored him. I looked around the room slowly, taking in everything as if I had been born again, and before I had only been able to see dull shades of sepia. Now I saw in a haze of red, and in incredible detail, although my vision seemed to be narrowed. Two boys were bound on the floor some yards away from me, and they stared at me with wide eyes, but I ignored them also. I observed the tables with science equipment on them, red water and stones gleaming in the florescent light.

 _Hunger._

I slowly began walking forward to a table, reaching for the first vial of red water.

"Y-you monster!" An annoying voice broke into my mind, and I flicked my eyes over to the disturbance. It was a stout old man old man, and his face was contorted in fury and fear. "Get the hell away from my red stones!"

He held up a globe with some sort of mechanical attachments at me. It was filled with red water as well, and I was compelled to walk towards him. He flinched at my approach and pulled something from his pocket. It was a red stone. He dropped it into the concoction, and the bowl glowed a bright red. A metal plate at the front of it writhed with the reaction, and the barrel of a gun was produced. The man grinned, exposing his canines, and fired.

Desperate shouts rang behind me, but I tuned them out. It was like the entire world had slowed down around me. The bullets came, and I fell to the side. As if under water, I felt the currents as they passed me by. Less than a second later, I was in the old man's face and gripping his arm painfully. It turned to dust under my hand, and the pathetic creature screamed.

"Alex!" As the man fell before me, writhing on the floor, I looked over to the one who had shouted.

"Ed…" I said, my voice sounding loud to my ears. He was standing with his hands out about to clap, but he hesitated, as if not sure what to do. He looked…terrified.

 _Why is he afraid…?_ I wondered vaguely.

"Alex," Alphonse said to me calmly, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Please let go of him."

I looked back down apathetically at the writhing creature before me. His face was covered in tears and slime and a very unpleasant smell came from him, as if he had defecated himself. I let his shattered arm go, slightly disgusted.

The man scrambled back desperately and ran from the room, clutching his arm to his chest and still holding the device he had used against me.

I did not watch him leave. I looked at my empty hands confusedly and looked around. Ah, there they were. I walked over and picked up my tonfa from the floor, marveling how they gleamed in the light.

"Alex?" I could hear Edward coming closer to me, and I looked up. He was walking towards me cautiously, as if to a frightened animal. "Are you okay?" He put a hand on my shoulder, and I wondered what he was talking about. Of course I was okay. I felt great! I smiled, but his expression did not change.

"Elric!" a voice shouted from the other side of the room. Ed jumped badly at the loud noise. "You're letting Mugear get away!" The older boy that was bound up shouted urgently.

"Mugear…" I said to myself slowly. "Mugear…" My voice became tense, and my smile dropped. Ed backed away. "Alex…?"

 _"_ _The plan is to insert the red water into pregnant women. It permeates their placenta, a factory of biological condensing. Once the process is complete, we take the product and transmute it into a stone."_

I grimaced in anger as I heard his obnoxious voice in my head.

 _"_ _Looks like I won't be needing you boys after all. What do you say, Mr. Elric?"_

My teeth ground together, and blood began pumping in my ears erratically.

 _"_ _You know, there was once another Alchemist who wouldn't do what I told him. He had to be…taken care of. I'll do the same to you and your precious brother if you don't cooperate!"_

"Alex!"

I whipped my tonfa to the side, and Edward barely blocked with his automail arm. A rush of wind burst from my weapon, and Edward was blown back. He slammed into the wall across the room and landed on top of the bound boys with a grunt, but I wasn't paying attention.

Fury pooled in my gut like molten lava as I stared after where Mugear had disappeared. "Mugear…" I growled, the name feeling foul on my tongue. Without a backwards glance I ran into the next room, snapping my eyes around and taking in more than I had ever been able to before. I easily tracked him to a trapdoor in the floor and flung it open, tearing the door off the hinge. Below it was a stair leading into darkness I jumped them three at a time. I had no trouble seeing in the dim light.

Again, the annoying voices echoed behind me, but I had focus only for one thing. I sprinted down the tunnel, seeing my quarry stumbling at the end. All I could think was _punishment._

My prey looked over his shoulder as I was almost upon him and whimpered in fear. He desperately lifted his device with a shaking hand, and in a flash of red light, a wall was erected, blocking my path. I did not hesitate or slow. I slammed my weapons into the annoying obstruction. The surface of the wall crumbled. I slammed them a second time. The tunnel around me shifted dangerously and another section of the wall came down.

I could hear an obnoxious buzzing behind me. "–going to take the whole tunnel down!"

"Stand back–"

I was about to bring my tonfa down for a third time, but in a flash of blue light the obstacle was suddenly gone. I moved forward, but I was violently pulled back by my coat as a cannon blasted in front of me, hitting the tunnel behind me with a bang.

The sniveling creature was shouting at me from behind the stream of red water and he seemed to be threatening me with a pathetically formed cannon. I grinned under the respiration mask and stepped forward. I had him right where I wanted him. I brought my tonfa above my head, my vision blurred around the edges but focused sharply on my prey before me. _I will destroy you!_

I tensed, and the man screamed, but with a resounding crack the ground shifted violently under me and I stumbled in surprise. I looked up just in time to see that the ceiling was buckling and jumped back as a ton of rock rained down. When the dust cleared, I realized that the reason for my fury was suddenly gone. I growled in annoyance. Shards of rock began to strike me in the face. The small cuts healed instantly in flashes of red sparks, but I still felt the pain. I spun on my heel and ran back the way I had come.

As I ran, rock rained around me, and I noticed that there were others following me. I glanced behind me to confirm this, and a wave of dizziness suddenly overtook me. My feet slowed and I clutched my abruptly aching head. What the…what was I doing again? The red haze that had been obstructing my vision began to lift, and my strength began to leave me.

I stumbled, and I was lifted bodily from the ground and carried by what felt like a band of steel. I looked up blearily in surprise, but could barely see through the dust."Wha- Alphonse?"

"I've got Alex," he shouted ahead of us. "Go!"

We ran for a few more tense seconds and I clutched onto Al's arm, disoriented and terrified. Al and I burst out of the trapdoor just as the tunnel behind us collapsed completely. The floor buckled beneath us and Al continued to run, carrying me out of the mansion and into the surrounding forest.

"Al, what the hell–"

"Sorry, no time to explain! Brother!" he shouted into the surrounding trees.

"I'm here," I heard Ed call. Al ran to the top of the hill, and Ed was standing there, looking intently at the collapsing mansion. The Tringhams stood beside him, panting for breath with wide eyes.

Edward turned around and strode over to Al and I, a severe expression on his face. He grabbed my chin roughly and I grunted in protest. "Your eyes are still red," he said, and I furrowed my brow, confused. "Can you understand me now?"

"Yeah, Ed, what–"

"Brother, the red water!"

Edward released me and spun around with a curse. Where the mansion once stood there was a geyser of red water coming out and even leaking from the mountain behind it.

"Dammit!" Ed snapped his hands together, and with a great feat of Alchemy, he erected a wall to contain the surging red water. "How are we going to drain this," he said, tense.

"Fletcher!" The older Tringham shouted behind us. I tried to look, but Alphonse was still clutching me tightly. Alphonse turned, and we rushed after the boy who had run into the forest. He stopped at a tree and began drawing on it furiously with chalk. When his transmutation circle was finished, he leaned his forehead into it and closed his eyes. It glowed a gentle green, and then something began happening to the trees around us.

Starting at the base, the trees in the surrounding area began turning the color of blood, growing taller as…

"They are absorbing the red water," Ed said in awe. Indeed, every tree in the surrounding forest within a mile radius was turning red, and the geyser of toxic water was siphoning into the ground. "He's using the trees to purify the water."

Fletcher suddenly collapsed to his knees, and Ed jumped forward in alarm, but the older Tringham beat him to it. The older brother gently stood behind Fletcher and placed his own hand on the transmutation circle, adding his energy to the mix.

"See, Russel," Fletcher said tiredly, "it does work." Russel smiled and then closed his eyes in concentration.

From beside me, Edward suddenly grabbed my hand and placed it on a tree. Instantly, I could feel a slightly painful pull in my body, and I cringed, trying to pull back, but he held me firm. My nerves felt like pins and needles, starting from my toes all the way through my body and to my hands. It was one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever experienced. A few seconds later, it was over, and I sighed in relief as the painful pull stopped. The trees surrounding us strained towards the sky, filled to the brim with red water.

"Sorry trees," I heard Fletcher say, and in a stunning transition, the trees transformed into the clearest blue I had ever seen. They shimmered beautifully in the sun as if they had become faceted with gems, and my brothers and I gazed at them in awe. They stood tall, like the obelisks made of blue sapphire, and then the collapsed into pieces, falling to the ground in waves of glimmering stone and a rush of wind.

Ed picked up one of the gems, and held it up to the sun. "Well, I'd say this town's financial troubles are over…" he mused.

Russel grunted from his position on the ground, collapsed next to his brother, in amusement. Fletcher was asleep on his lap, exhausted from the transmutation, and he pet his hair gently. "Good job, little bro," he whispered.

"Um, this is sweet and all, but can you please put me down now?" I pleaded. Alphonse's emotions were starting to overwhelm me and I was pretty sure he was bruising my sides. Ed ignored me and looked to Al.

"How does he feel?"

"Back to normal, I think. I can't feel any trace of that feeling from earlier."

"Hello, I think I can speak for myself here!"

Ed walked up to me and grabbed my face again, this time more gently. He sighed in relief. "Your eyes are green."

"Well, yeah," I said confused, "been that way since birth."

Alphonse gently put me down and I took a huge lungful of air, grateful to be able to breathe again. "So are you guys going to fill me in? What the hell happened?" Vague images filtered through my head, but I wasn't able to remember much except for being very angry. "What happened to Mugear?" I said with a dark frown.

Ed took off the facemask he had been wearing and glanced over at Al questioningly. Al shrugged his shoulders. I realized then that I was wearing a facemask as well and lifted my hand to take it off, but Al gently stopped me.

"Russel," he said, "is the red water completely gone?"

"It should be," Russel said tiredly. "That Alchemy was something Fletcher had been working on for a while. It would have absorbed all of the red water underground as well as the fumes in the air."

Al nodded and took the mask off for me, and I blinked in confusion. "Guys, you are starting to scare me."

Edward took a deep breath, and with one last glance at Al, told me everything that had happened after we came out of the closet. My mouth fell open in shock about halfway through, and stayed that way until he finished. "We think that due to how you were…born, the red water acted as a catalyst for your body. You went a little crazy for a while," he finished.

"I'll say…" I whispered, looking down at my hands in fear. I didn't remember any of that! Well, that wasn't strictly true. Images of the events flashed before my eyes, but it was as if I was observing them through intense tunnel vision, or through a poor quality television. It was hard to make sense of, but I slowly began to piece the events together in my head. My hands began to shake as with startling clarity, I suddenly remembered how it felt to break Mugear's arm in my grip.

I shook my head vigorously. "There is one thing I want to confirm," Ed said, pulling me out of my thoughts. His expression was dead serious. "That woman who healed your hand. What color was the medicine she gave you?"

I thought back to the small bead she had given me. "It was red. I guess it must have been a red stone." I brought my hand to my face, feeling like an idiot. "She must have known exactly how the stone would have affected me."

"We need to keep you away from anything having to do with the red stone."

"No shit! I could have killed you!" I gripped my arms in panic at the thought. I had wielded so much power, and worse, I was completely out of control! If the red water hadn't been as weak as it was…I shuddered in terror, my teeth clenching painfully.

"No," Al said. "I don't think you would have."

"Al, I attacked Edward! Who knows what will happen next time–"

"There isn't going to be a next time," Ed said strongly, gripping my shoulders. "We won't let you come in contact to any red stone or red water ever again, ok?"

I breathed harshly out of my mouth as panic gripped me. Ed looked into my green eyes with his golden ones, and I slowly began to calm down under his comforting touch. He looked so sure of himself, and so strong, that I couldn't help but believe him. "Promise?" I whispered.

"I promise."

I nodded, and he let go of me. I was still afraid of what would happen to me, and worse, what I would do to those around me if I lost control like that again, but I had to believe that Ed and Al would protect me from that fate. Still something niggled at me, something that had been bothering me since Lior. I put voice to it.

"What about that woman though? First she rescues me from Tucker, then she heals my hand with a red stone, and now we find out that I just happen to have a strange response to it? What does she want with me?"

"She was also probably the one who gave Cornello that red stone. I wonder what her plan is…" Al said.

"No idea," Ed said. "We'll just have to deal with it if she ever shows up again."

"Yeah…" Something a lot bigger than us was going on, and I was starting to get seriously worried that we were right in the middle of it.

o-0-o

It was evening, and the train whistled merrily at the edge of town. Ed, Al and I were finally leaving Xenotime, and Fletcher and Russel were there to see us off. We were already seated and the Tinghams were standing outside of our train window.

"I'm really going to miss you guys," Fletcher said, looking at us with his large eyes.

"Aw," I said at his cute expression. "We'll miss you too, Fletcher."

"Thanks for letting us borrow your names," he continued with a smile. "Here, I have a present for you." He handed Edward one of the gems that had been created by the trees. "I had it faceted for you, and I hear that production of the gems is going to start up next week! Xenotime will be back to normal in no time thanks to you."

Edward took it. "I think you deserve more of the credit than we do, but thanks. So Russel, you think you two are going to make it in this town," he said, looking to the taller teen.

Russel smiled. "Yes, I believe so. The townspeople were so grateful that we created a new means of economy that they gave me and Fletcher a huge share of the gems that we created, so we're basically set for life."

"Heh, nice. Don't go getting too high class on me, your head is already too big as it is," Ed said.

The older Tringham chuckled, and then his expression turned serious. "Are you still going to search for the philosopher's stone?"

Edward glanced at Alphonse and I with a thoughtful frown. He turned back to Russel. "Yeah," he said with a cocky grin.

"Well, I've got a bit of information for you then." Edward leaned forward in interest. "A few years ago a man came through here, and supposedly he was able to heal the sickness caused by the red water. They say he was able to heal people with a flash of red light."

"Really…"

Russel nodded. "I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that, as he never told anyone what his name was. I hope that helps you, at least a little."

The train whistled again, and the conductor called for all aboard.

"One more thing," Russel continued. "I'm really sorry for giving you so much attitude when you first got here. I'll try to be a better brother to Fletcher, just like you are to yours. I guess you being a _year older_ than me makes all the difference."

"What!" Ed exclaimed. Before he could continue though, the train pulled out of the station and we watched as the two brothers waved goodbye. Xenotime disappeared over the hills, and Edward fumed while Alphonse and I giggled at his expense.

"I can't believe he is a year younger than me and so much taller! Life is so unfair."

"Yeah, well, I kind of feel like a pedophile now for thinking he was so attractive. But alas, he is way too young for me…" I joked.

Ed snorted. He held up the small gem Fletcher had given us and looked at it consideringly. He glanced at me, and then pulled up his sleeve on his automail arm. With a flash, he transmuted a small piece of steel from one of the plates and placed it next to the gem on the bench beside him.

"What are you doing, brother," Al asked as we both watched him curiously. Ed just grinned and continued what he was doing. He clapped his hands together and touched the piece of steel and gem lightly and they began to mold together before our eyes.

"Oh, wow," I whispered as I took in the final product. Sitting on the bench was a perfect replica of Izumi's symbol that both Alphonse and Edward wore on their person, about the size of my thumb. At the T of the cross and nestled in the curve of the winding snake, the blue gem sat and sparkled in the sunset's light.

"It's an earring," Ed said, holding up his creation. "I thought that you should wear the same symbol as us since you're, you know…our brother." He blushed. "And since you like jewelry…"

Gently, I took the earring from him, touched beyond belief that he had remembered that. "Ed, I…"

"Don't mention it," he said avoiding my eyes. Alphonse chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder. I was comforted by the feeling of protectiveness I felt from him, and it was clear that he felt the same way as Edward. My eyes watered a bit. Even though I had attacked Edward, and even though I might lose control again, they still accepted me. I touched the gleaming metal in my hand, and I felt loved. "Thanks so much guys…just one thing. My ears aren't pierced." I pulled the stub off the pointed needle of the earring and held it in front of my eyes with a manic grin. "Either of you want to help me?" both of them cringed away from me with a shout of panic and I laughed uproariously at their scared expressions. Maybe we were in the middle of something dangerous, and maybe I would one day lose control again, but if there was one thing I hoped would never change, it was that we three would be together till the very end.

 _And that's the end of the Tringham arch. Hope you guys liked it. Yup, Alex was cured from his red water infusion by the fact that it was a weak concentration and that it was pulled out by Fletcher's transmutation and Ed's quick thinking. Don't think that this is the end of Alex's red water problems, though. Not even close. I'll give you a hint. What's one place in Amestris that has a looooot of red water in it, hm? Well, I'll let you chew on that one for a while. For now, enjoy the warm fuzzies of the end of this arch. We've still got a long ways to go!_

 _Next Chapter: We get to see a certain Colonel, Alex flirts, Ed gets angry, and a certain little girl gets a hug._

 _Thank you for all of your support, guys! I can't wait to hear from you again. See you next time!_


	26. Chapter 26

"I _hate_ rain," Ed grumbled as we ran through the streets of Central towards the military base. After months of traveling around on military business, we had finally made it back to Central City, only for it to be raining buckets on our heads.

"You wouldn't hate rain so much if you took better care of your automail, brother," Al said, clanking behind us with a calm voice, even as we panted in exertion.

"I do," Ed exclaimed. "Its just really hard to maintain it when we spend half the time on a train. Besides, I hate it when people stare."

"They're not staring at you. Why would they look at a nobody like you when they have me to gaze at," I said, trying to lighten the mood. We stopped under an overhang as the rain began to fall harder, and Ed started to ring out his hair.

"You have some ego, you know that," he snorted, wiping his lank hair out of his eyes.

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful," I shot back, shaking out my drenched coat.

"He gets it from me," Al quipped, leaning against the building behind him.

"What," Ed said, "his looks or his sass?"

"Both."

We all shared a laugh, our moods bright despite the weather. Every mission we had gone on so far had been successful, in one way or another. Well, except for that small hiccup in Aquroya, but I'm pretty sure Ed never wanted to talk about that one again. The way Ed blushed when Psiren gave him a kiss on the cheek before getting away was absolutely priceless. Ah, my little Ed was growing up…

"Meew."

We all looked up as a small sound interrupted Ed and my thumb wars battle, which we had been playing to pass the time till the rain stopped. It was a good thing too, since I was losing. Stupid automail user.

"What was that," Al asked, looking around.

"No idea. A cat maybe," Ed said, getting to his feet.

"Meew…"

"It's coming from over here," Al said, walking out into the rain to an ally that was nearby us. Ed sighed in annoyance at his younger brother. "Al, this better not be another one of your stray pickups. You know we can't keep it no matter how cute it is right?"

"I know, I know. I just want to make sure it's not in trouble. There you are–ah!" Al backed away suddenly. "Um, guys, I think you may want to take a look at this," he said slowly.

Ed and I walked over as well, Ed grumbling about the rain again. We went over to where Al was standing and I recoiled in shock. There, lying on the ground in a puddle, was a chimera.

It was a cross between what looked like a lizard and a cat. It was feline in appearance, but instead of wet fur it was covered in tiny green scales that looked slick in the rain. It was no bigger than a kitten, although its long reptilian tail was a length and a half of its body and it curled at the end. The creature shivered in the cold, it's eyes closed. My first instinct was to get as far away from it as possible, and I stepped back.

Al crouched down in front of it. "Al, get away from that thing," Ed exclaimed.

"But it's hurt…" He picked up the small shivering chimera and held it to his chest. It twitched but otherwise didn't respond.

"Al, don't be an idiot, it could be dangerous," Ed said in protest.

"Look at it, brother. It's weak from cold. There's no way it could do anything to me. Besides, it looks no more dangerous than a cat. Are you saying that just because it's a chimera it's inherently evil?"

"Well, no…"

"Look at this face! Your not going to hurt me, are you little guy? You probably just escaped from a mean Alchemist."

Slowly, I walked up to Al, curious. It didn't look like the other chimeras I had seen, which had all been dangerous and violent in some way. No, it looked pitiful and weak. Al was right, it didn't seem like it was any more dangerous than a house cat.

It shivered and Al looked down at it in concern. "It's part reptile, so it probably can't regulate its body temperature. Can one of you warm it up?"

Ed and I glanced at each other uncertainly. I looked at its tiny face again. It _was_ rather cute… Carefully, I took the chimera from Alphonse and brought it to my chest. Instantly, it began to wriggle into my body heat and even tried to get under my shirt.

"Gah!" For a second I was panicked, thinking it was going to bite me. It wriggled underneath my clothes and I shuddered as the strange creature clung to my skin with curiously sticky paws and fell still. "Mew…" it whimpered.

Bewildered, I pulled up my shirt and looked down as the two boys watched me curiously. The little creature seemed to be asleep where it had clung to my chest and it had stopped shivering. Its long reptilian tail wrapped partway around my waist and seemed to help it stay put.

"Oookay," I said, letting my shirt fall and looking down at the lump in my clothes oddly.

"Awe, it likes you," Al cooed.

"Yeah, but what the hell am I supposed to _do_ with it?"

"Get rid of it," Ed said immediately. "Having a chimera will only cause us trouble, and the way we travel so much, we couldn't care for it anyway. Besides, someone went to the trouble of making it and is probably looking for it. Whoever it is, there's no way I want to get involved."

"Yeah, but…" I wrapped my arms around the small lump against my chest. "It will die in this rain…"

"Then once it stops raining, let it go."

"Brother, that's heartless! What if the Alchemist that's looking for it is a bad person? It could get experimented on or worse!"

My mind flashed back to Tucker's lab and I shivered, causing the small critter to cling to me tighter. I wrapped my arms around it protectively. There was no way any living creature should go through that… but Ed was right. Even if we somehow had the means to care for it, it would have a better chance of escaping capture if it was on it's own. We just drew too much attention.

"Just till the rain stops," I said, breaking into their argument. "Then we'll find a forest or something to release it, ok?"

The two brothers stopped their bickering and looked at each other, considering the compromise. They nodded as one, and we continued on our way to the base, plus one small lizard cat.

o-0-o

We walked through the halls of Central Command on our way to see Mustang, Ed and I still drying our hair with the towels the receptionist had given us. I tugged at my bangs in annoyance. My hair was getting pretty long. I would have to cut it soon…

"Well look who it is! My three favorite brothers," an exuberant voice shouted at us from down the hall.

"Hughes," I said happily. The man bounced towards us and Edward was about to greet him when Hughes suddenly shoved something in his face.

"I know just what will cheer you boys up! Just look at how adorable my little Elicia is! She's almost one and she is starting to look just like mommy!"

Ed tried to see the picture that was thrust practically on top of his nose and ended up looking cross-eyed. "That's…great…" he said backing away. I chuckled as he swung the picture around to me and I looked at the image curiously. A little girl with cute brown pigtails and green eyes was playing merrily with a doll and smiling at the camera. I remembered that last time I had seen that little tyke she had just been born, and I had been a little distraught. I resolved to meet her properly while I was in town now that I had gotten over that.

Hughes gushed about his little girl for a few minutes while Ed grumbled and I smiled crookedly at his enthusiasm. I knew that if I had been a mother, I would have been just as manic as he was, so I listened good-naturedly.

"But enough about her, I've got another thing to show you." Hughes pulled out another picture and handed it to Ed.

"Oh," he said, smiling sadly. "That's great." He handed the picture to me, and I suddenly forgot to breathe. Holding little Elicia in her arms was a small girl no older than five. It was Nina. She was wearing a small smile, just a shadow of the big grins she used to give, but she at least looked healthy. I flashed back to how I had seen her last, unconscious and covered in blood on top of her dead best friend, and was glad that she looked to be doing well.

I brought the picture gently to my face and closed my eyes. Thank goodness. She had always been in the back of my mind since we had left Central all those months ago. I felt so relieved that she was doing ok…

"How is she," Al asked while I took a silent moment to compose myself.

"She's doing as well as can be expected," Hughes said with a small smile. "For the first several weeks staying with us, no one could get her to smile, and she barely ate anything at all. She still hasn't spoken a word to anyone since the incident, but she has started to behave a little more normally thanks to my darling Elicia's cuteness and Gracia's care. I think that with a little more time she should be back to normal. She's only five, so there is a chance that she may forget completely."

"I hope so," I said softly. I would give anything to forget what happened that night.

"So have you found her family," Al asked.

"Yes, but…"

"What is it," Ed said, furrowing his brow.

"Well, Tucker's family had renounced him as a son when he was a teen and want nothing to do with the child. After some investigation, we found out that Tucker's wife had been the talking chimera he made, and after finding that out, her family wanted nothing to do with Nina either. I'm afraid she may have to go to an orphanage soon…"

"Couldn't you keep her," I asked desperately. Growing up in an orphanage could be tough, and I didn't want that for Nina. Right now she needed a family in order to heal.

"I have considered it," Hughes said, crossing his arms. "After all, she's almost as cute as my Elicia! The problem is, usually the military does not allow its own to adopt the children in cases like these, so it would be really tough for me to get custody."

My shoulders slumped in disappointment. "But…"

"Don't worry, I'm working on it. Even if I can't adopt her, I will be sure to find her a family that will raise her well so she won't be at an orphanage for long."

I nodded in acceptance and Hughes patted me on the shoulder. "Why don't you boys stay with me while you are in Central? That way you can visit with Nina."

"I don't know…" I said uncertainly. It was one thing to look at a picture to make sure she was ok, but I was scared of actually seeing her again. What if she blamed me for what happened?

"Sure," Ed said with a smile. I snapped around to look at him in betrayal. He smiled and patted my shoulder. "Don't be such a worry wart, it will be fine. I promise she doesn't blame you."

"How do you know," I grumbled. He just shook his head.

"Great! I'll have Gracia set the table for three more!" With that, the exuberant father strolled down the hall, leaving us to continue to Mustang's office in silence.

As we trudged down the hall leaving small puddles of water behind us, I felt a stirring from beneath my shirt. "Ah, are you awake little guy?" I looked under my collar and it meeped a bit but did not open its eyes.

"How is it doing," Al asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Ah, Al! You should know better than to look down a lady's shirt! I never knew you were such an animal," I cried, crossing my arms over my chest dramatically

"Gah, sorry-um-I didn't mean-" Al stuttered, flustered. He stopped waving his hands in front of his face when I started giggling uncontrollably at his reaction. "Ha ha, very funny," he said, disgruntled.

"Guys," Ed said sharply, "we have company."

I stopped laughing immediately as a very large, very intimidating man walked down the hall towards us. He was at least as tall as Alphonse and had no hair save for a large mustache on his tanned face. Following him was an entourage of serious looking men, and they were walking swiftly in our direction.

"I want the whole city swept. Check every ally and every hole. I want no survivors, is that understood?" The large man was speaking with a voice almost as severe as his expression. We moved aside as the large group was almost upon us and Edward, who had noticed that the man had several stars on his jacket, snapped a salute. We were ignored, however, so he needn't have bothered.

"Who's that," I whispered to the blonde.

"General Basque Grand, the Iron-Blood Alchemist," Ed whispered back tensely.

"What do you think he meant by no survivors," I asked as the first of the men started to pass us.

Ed was about to reply when the little chimera clinging to my chest decided to give out a loud meep. The large man, Basque Grand, snapped his head around at the sound and seemed to notice us for the first time. My heart started racing as the intimidating man seemed to stop in his tracks, his whole entourage stopping with him.

"Fullmetal," Grand grunted.

"Sir," Ed said, holding his salute, although his eyes were like liquid fire as he stared straight at the large general.

"A group of chimeras have escaped the military labs and I have been ordered to round them up an eliminate them. Have you seen any?"

His ice cold eyes swept over me, and I shivered nervously. My arms were crossed over my chest still from my antics earlier, so the chimera was well hidden and I was grateful that it was remaining still and quiet. I suddenly got the feeling that it was a very bad idea to hand over the creature to a man who 'wanted no survivors'.

"No sir," Ed said with a straight face.

"Then what," the man said, stalking forward slowly, "was that sound, Fullmetal?"

My heart began pounding in my chest as the wall of muscle started to get closer and I had a sudden absurd urge to grab my weapons and defend myself, although the man had his hands behind his back and was making no threatening moves towards us.

"What sound, sir?" Ed said, his expression completely neutral.

Grand's already considerable frown deepened before he looked sharply away. "You have your orders," he barked at the men who were standing at attention diligently.

"Sir!" They all shouted as one before filing out of the hall with all haste.

Grand looked back to Edward slowly. "I hope for your sake that it was just my imagination, Fullmetal. I have orders to eliminate all of the abominations that escaped and you would do well not to get in my way. Now, tell me, what was that sound?"

"Must have been a cat, sir," Ed said, matching his intimidating stare with his own intense golden one. The stalemate went on for several seconds before Grand narrowed his eyes and strolled away.

As his large figure turned the corner, we all released a breath of relief. "Ugh, I really don't like that guy," Ed said, rubbing his arms vigorously, "I always feel like he's going to eat me or something every time he looks in my direction."

"Definitely a carnivore," I said, nervously clutching the tiny creature to my still pounding chest. "You sure are brave, Ed, I definitely would have cracked and went for my weapons or something under that stare."

"You would have been dead," Ed said ominously. I looked down the hall at where the general had retreated and wondered just how powerful he must have been to have even Ed say that. I wanted to ask, but then again, I didn't really want to know.

"Come on, the colonel has probably heard we are in the building and you know how grouchy he gets when we don't go straight to him. Let's get this over with. And make sure that thing keeps quiet!"

We hurried down the hall and finally came to a stop in front of Mustang's office. We knocked on the door and it was immediately answered by Lieutenant Hawkeye. Her blonde hair was pinned up as briskly as ever and she held a clip board to her chest. Busy as always, I saw.

"Oh, if it isn't my favorite brothers," she said with a smile. "Come on in, boys, the colonel is just through the next door."

We shuffled into the office and Ed and I left our towels at the rack by the door as we walked through. Mustang's men were all busily working at their desks.

"Falman, Havoc, long time no see," I said, giving a wave to the two officers. I got a conservative nod from Falman, who looked like he had too much work and not enough coffee, and a slick 'hey kid' from the much more laid back Havoc. There were two others in the office that I had not met, a larger man with red hair and a rather smallish man with black hair and glasses, but before I could greet them as well Ed pulled me along by the arm into Mustang's office. Ed shut the door behind us and Al and I sat on the two red couches while Edward stood in front of Mustang's desk, waiting to be acknowledged.

The black haired man was sitting behind his desk, busily signing papers or some such, and at first did not even seem to notice our presence.

"Ahem," Ed said a bit rudely, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Boys," Mustang finally said, not looking up from his paperwork. "Take a seat, I'll get to you in a minute."

Ed growled in annoyance, but obediently sat on the couch across from Al and I. A few moments and a lot of scritching later, Mustang finally put down his pen and snatched the paper from his desk and strode to the door quickly. Before he could touch it however, it opened abruptly and Hawkeye walked in. Mustang nervously stepped back.

"Sir, that better be the missive I handed you this morning," she said with an intense frown, looking at Mustangs occupied hand.

"Of course it is," Mustang said with an arrogant shrug. "I told you I would get it done on time! Who do you take me for?"

Hawkeyes hand twitched and Mustang smile froze on his face. However, she merely took the paper from his hand instead of…whatever it was that he was expecting her to do. She looked it over and then gave him a beatific smile, which oddly enough made him take another step back. "Thank you sir, I'll get this taken care of right away." With that she closed the door in Mustang's stunned face.

Once the formidable woman was gone, Mustang's shoulders dropped in relief and he began muttering to himself. I was pretty sure I caught words like 'crazy' and 'control freak', but I politely pretended like I had heard nothing.

Ed was not as polite. "Feeling a little whipped, colonel," he snorted, grinning meanly in the man's direction.

Mustang's back went rigid before he spun around. "Huh, was that you Fullmetal," he said, putting his hand up as if shielding his eyes from the sun and scanning the room dramatically. "Oh there you are, I must not have seen you over my piles of paperwork."

Ed's steel fist clenched and suddenly Mustang's couch had one less arm. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN'T SEE HIM STANDING BEHIND A SHOPPING RECEIPT YOU BASTARD!"

Al held Ed back as he tried to jump over the couch and attack the colonel, who merely cleaned out his ear with his pinky and a bored expression. "Wow, I never knew such a _person of stature_ like yourself could have such a loud voice."

"What did you say, bastard!"

"Ed, calm down," I said, guffawing loudly, "he's just mad that we know that Hawkeye's the real brains behind this operation."

Ed snorted and Mustang frowned in my direction. Then he smiled arrogantly. "Takes an evil mastermind to know one. Nice earring by the way. I didn't know you bat for Hawkeye's team."

I stared at him blankly for a moment, not sure exactly how to respond. Judging by the tense silence that suddenly fell on the room and Mustang's smug expression, I got the feeling that I was just somehow insulted, but I couldn't see how that would be. If the zombie apocalypse were suddenly upon us, then I would definitely want to be on mastermind Hawkeye's team. Unless by team he meant…oh. I stood up and probably did the last thing he would have expected. Judging by his stunned expression, I would say so. Pft.

"Oh, Mustang, thank you for noticing," I said in an obnoxious falsetto, tilting my hips (well, if I had any) to the side and tipping one of my feet, my hands on my face. I even managed to conjure up a blush.

I'm pretty sure I could hear every jaw drop in the room, and Ed was looking at me like I had grown an extra two heads. Mustang's stunned expression was even more priceless, however. What was he expecting, me to deny it? I opened my eyes wide and fluttered my lashes, and that seemed to break him out of his shock. He suddenly grinned widely before his smile dropped into a charming smirk.

"Of _course_ I noticed," he said in a suave voice that I assumed he used on all the females in the city. "How could I not notice when someone so exquisite wears a piece that suits them so perfectly. Why, I can barely take my eyes off you."

"Wha–" Ed stuttered. His expression really was something to see. He had the most adorable look of constipation on his face, and I was pretty sure Al had turned to stone behind him. If I hadn't been having so much fun playing along I would have been laughing hysterically.

"Why, Mustang, I had _no idea_ you felt that way," I simpered.

Mustang grinned and was about to respond when Ed suddenly screamed and covered his ears.

"Gaaaaah, noooo! I am not watching my little brother flirt with colonel bastard! Can we _please_ get this report over with so I can forget I ever saw this!?"

Al had his knees pulled up to his chest on the couch and he was covering his helmet where his ears would be and he was muttering to himself. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I could imagine. I suddenly laughed loudly when I realized how bizarre it must be for him when someone that looked exactly like him was flirting with an older man. "Heh, sorry Alphonse," I said behind my hand.

"Alright, alright, settle down," Mustang said, walking over to his desk with a smirk. "Let's do this so I can get back to work."

Once we were all settled down back on the couches, Ed still looking a little disturbed, Mustang began to debrief us on our missions.

"So, Ed, it looks like we really are getting a bang for our buck."

"Don't start with me, ok? You're the one who told us to go to Lior in the first place." Ed grumbled.

"Yeah, but I told you to investigate, not unseat their favorite profit."

"And now a village that was on the verge of uprising is back under the military's control. Shouldn't you be happy about that," Ed said, putting his hands behind his head. "Hey," he said suddenly, "you didn't plan that did you?"

"I heard that Youswell is under different management now," Mustang said, pointedly not answering the question.

"Um, yeah, that Yoki got unexpectedly…ill." I snorted. If by ill he meant 'beaten to a pulp by angry muscle-bound men', then yes, he was ill.

"I also heard that Xenotime got a new source of income."

Ed twitched. "Yeah, Xenotime, where is that again?"

Mustang crossed his fingers in front of his face. "Should I also have you file a report about the red water?"

Ed growled but did not respond. Mustang moved on.

"Oh, I almost forgot, we also got a letter from a small village that claimed you saved them from 'walking dolls' and an inquiry from Aquroya about a certain phantom thief. Tell me Ed, is it true Psiren is a real ten under the mask?"

Ed blushed and looked away. "So you're saying you know everything I do. Great, I'm glad we had this talk."

Mustang suddenly frowned. "Can you at least look like you are following orders?"

"We have other objectives," Ed shot back, crossing his arms.

Mustang stood and looked out the window into the still pouring rain. "Like the philosopher's stone."

Ed widened his eyes in surprise. "How did you…"

"Cornello had been using a red stone to fake miracles, and then you just happen to go to Xenotime next, where it was rumored a philosopher's stone was being created? It's not rocket science, Ed."

My expression scrunched weirdly. They had rocket science in this world? I guess it wasn't that far fetched, but I had thought that other sciences weren't being pursued because of alchemy. I guess that was silly of me…I tuned back into the conversation and cut off the thought. Not important.

"Are you going to try and stop us," Ed said darkly, looking like he was going to start frothing at the bit. Al and I looked at the colonel worriedly, suddenly afraid that he would.

"Of course not. I promised that you would have every opportunity to get your bodies back and I meant it. Just know that that path is a dangerous one, and that the price may be too much for the prize."

"What do you mean," I said.

He looked back at me considering. "They say that those who pursue the stone are cursed to failure. But I myself never put much stock in rumors. Still, everyone I knew of that went in pursuit of the stone never came back."

"I think we can handle it," Ed said flippantly. He stood. "Is that all? We have other places to be than hang around here," he said rudely.

Mustang sighed and nodded, and without a backwards glance, Ed strode out the room and through the door, banging it loudly behind him.

"Brother," Al exclaimed scoldingly, following him out. I made to leave as well, but Mustang stopped me.

"Wait, Alex, I need to talk to you."

I looked back to him curiously. "What is it?"

He gestured for me to sit back down on the couch and I obeyed. He walked to the couch across from me and sat down. "I've been doing a little digging," he started and I inwardly groaned. This couldn't be good. He looked at me seriously and I tensed. "I found out some interesting things. Care to verify them?"

"That depends," I said cautiously. "What did you find out?"

"I found out that Alex Elric never existed." My heart stopped before suddenly pounding hard in my chest. The little chimera shifted at my nervousness, but I ignored it, giving the inscrutable colonel all of my attention. "Trisha Elric only ever had two sons and they are both accounted for, although you look an awful lot like Alphonse Elric, wouldn't you say?"

"How do you know Edward's father didn't have an affair," I said nervously, swallowing audibly. "I could be their half brother."

"Oh, and what would be his name, hm?"

Shit. Shit shit shit. I'd been found out. I tried furiously to come up with a name, but as far as I knew, besides a brief mention by Alphonse in Xenotime, the boys never spoke of their father at all. At my silence, Mustang continued.

"A few months ago at the hospital, the doctor was having a little bit of trouble finding you a blood type that your body would accept. Luckily for us, it seemed like you regenerated your blood rapidly on your own." He stared at my face intently, taking in my reaction. "He said it was a true miracle of modern medicine, and I had to call in a few favors so that he wouldn't talk."

My eyes widened in shock and I felt like my heart was going to simultaneously jump out my throat and fall through my feet. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I flickered my eyes to the door, wondering if I should make a run for it. Was he going to detain me and have me cut up in a lab? I felt sick…

Mustang nodded as if something had been confirmed. Then he leaned back and let out a breath. "Calm down, I'm not going to do anything to you."

"You know what I am," I croaked, not believing him in the least. _Ed, Al, where are you!_

"I have some theories. Chief among them being that you are somehow the result of those boys transmutation."

I closed my eyes, waiting for him to suddenly strike out at me or call for guards or something. This was it. I was going to be cut up, I just knew it! I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped badly.

"Alex, calm down," Mustang said firmly. "No one is going to cut you up, I promise." I snapped my eyes open to find him crouched down in front of me. I hadn't been aware I had said that out loud. He looked into my eyes intently. When it didn't look like he was going to start screaming for reinforcements I calmed down a bit. Once my breathing returned to normal, he got up and sat across from me again.

"What happens now," I muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"Nothing," he said, and I looked up in surprise. "I had a fake identity made for you the second I realized what you were. As far as anyone outside of my circle knows, there really are three Elrics."

"Why would you do that…" I said suspiciously. "I'm not human…why would you help me?"

"Who says you're not human?" I flinched, expecting to say something cruel, but looked into his eyes in surprise. I was startled to see something I did not expect to find in someone who had found out what I really was. Compassion. "Everyone deserves a chance at life. As far as I and everyone who knows you is concerned, you are you." He looked down and mumbled something more that I wasn't sure I was meant to hear. "Even those who feel they can't be forgiven..."

My eyes filled slightly with water and I looked down, stunned. Mustang allowed me a moment to compose myself in silence. I had never expected anyone outside of Ed's family to say that to me, especially not someone from the heartless military, who from everything I heard would think of me like the abomination I was.

"So…" Mustang started, but I interrupted him.

"My name," I said lowly, "was Alexandria…"

 _Sorry guys, I know you were expecting Nina in this chapter, but so much was happening that I couldn't get to her. No worries, you'll see her soon. So yeah, Mustang found out! No going back now. Has Alex made another friend?_

 _And who is the little critter?! No, I did not just put him in there because I wanted Alex to have a cute animal ride on his shoulder all the time (heh). He's actually there to serve a very specific purpose. I have need of a chimera for something that will happen soon._

 _This chapter was dedicated to lilaclily00 who gave me the idea for the flirting scene. You see? I really do pay attention. Don't ever say mommy doesn't listen! No red hulk though, sorry. Maybe next story._

 _Next Chapter: Nina! And then violence! Lots of wonderful, heartwarming violence! Heh..heh..heh..._

 _Review! And make coffee! Falman needs some. See you people next time!_


	27. Chapter 27

I slowly stroked the small chimera that sat on my lap. It had moved out of my shirt some time ago, leaving a small spot of sweat to cool where it had been sitting on my chest. At some point as I had been sitting there, it must have gotten overheated and crawled out. Instead of running away like I would have expected, it nuzzled up cat-like on my lap and continued its snooze. I scratched its head absentmindedly, not reacting much in the least to its presence. To his credit, Mustang did not react either, merely listening to me intently as I told him the entirety of my tale.

As I spoke, a half-hour, then an hour passed, and even as the sun went down causing the still goomy sky to become even goomier, Mustang did not waver in his concentration. His black eyes never left my face as I told him where I came from, what we guessed had happened to me, and all that I had lost. At some point, Riza had come into the room, and without interrupting me placed a steaming cup of coffee in my hand, which I swirled without touching.

When I finally finished talking, and the room fell silent, I felt as if this huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders. When was the last time I had spoken about myself in such length? When was the last time I had trusted anyone enough to speak about anything important? I loved my brothers, I truly did, but to me they were children. In my past life I had been over a decade older than them and no matter how mature they seemed, there was always this generational gap that I felt I could not overcome. In my past life I had had friends and loved ones my age that I could always go to when I felt down, and who knew me inside and out as well as I knew them. I had dearly missed that intimacy: the knowledge of knowing that someone would understand you no matter what, and listen whenever you needed an ear.

I glanced up at Mustang before my eyes flickered back towards the little chimera in my lap. I wasn't kidding myself that he was my friend, or that he even understood what I had been going through, but…but…I had desperately needed someone to listen, someone who wouldn't feel guilt-ridden over my circumstances or pity me. I wasn't even sure myself why I had opened up to him so thoroughly with only the slightest encouragement. Maybe it was the way he reminded me of the man I used to love, or the way he listened when I spoke like the best friend I used to have, or just the plain fact that he was close to the age I would have been if none of this had ever happened. Or maybe…maybe it was that I was just responding to the compassion in his eyes, as if he had been through something just as unspeakable as I had, and had the strength to pull through.

Whatever it was, it had caused me to finally put voice to all that I had suffered with the loss of my world and my original body, something I had spoken to no-one about since coming to Amestris. And I felt relieved.

"Do Ed and Al know that you were…" Mustang finally spoke quietly, breaking the silence that had filled the room for the last several minutes.

I shook my head. "I never told them. They may have guessed, however. But I never spoke of it to anyone except for Pinako, and even she knows very little."

"Why are you keeping it from them," he asked gently.

I looked directly into his black eyes with my own emeralds, my now dry hair falling gently against my cheek. "Because…because they have suffered enough. When I first got here, I was so angry…so very angry…and I wanted to scream and shout at them, blaming them for everything. But then I looked at them, really _looked_ , and saw how much they had suffered as well. They are already torn by guilt about what they had done to each other, and even the extent of what they thought they had done to me, that I thought 'does it even matter?' If I told them, would it make anything better? Would it help me get home faster? I don't think so." I scratched the little chimera under the chin and it made a curious purring sound and wiggled into my lap further. I smiled sadly. "So I held it in."

"You held it in to protect them, but it's been hurting you all this time."

"Yes, but it's not so hard anymore. At first I was drowning in despair, thinking that I was stuck here forever and that the two broken kids that had pulled me here would never be able to get me back. But then a certain military man came and kicked those kids back into gear." I smiled at Mustang, my eyes sparkling a bit. "And then, well, I guess I've gotten used to this place, and found people who I love here as well. I will always think of my little child, and the lover I once had, and the family I was forced to leave behind, but, for now…" My eyes watered, and I closed them and pushed back the tears. I had already mourned. There was no more need to cry.

Mustang crossed his arms and looked at me contemplatively. "What if there is no way to get you back? What if you _are_ stuck here forever?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It's been my purpose for so long. I have to believe I can go back, and that somehow everything will be ok again. If not…I guess I would still help Ed and Al get back to normal. And then…I just don't know."

"You'll see them again someday. Knowing you three, you could probably make Truth itself bend to your will." His voice changed slightly to a lighter and joking tone and I smiled, knowing the moment was over.

"Thank you…" I said, smiling and feeling much lighter than I had in ages. "Thank you for listening."

"What can I say, I'm an awesome listener," he said, falling back into his arrogant persona that I knew, his mask back in place. I chuckled, a bit sad that this moment of openness was behind me but feeling light as a feather regardless.

"You really are something else you know that."

"Yes, I know," he said, waving his hand in the air and giving me a charming grin. "Ladies just can't get enough of me."

"Even slightly gender confused boys?" I said with a mischievous smirk. Mustang shrugged, as if to say ' _especially_ gender confused boys'. I chuckled at his antics, appreciating his humor after talking about such dark matters, but then my expression turned serious. "Mustang…everything I said here today…"

The man's face also turned somber. "Nothing you said leaves this room. I promise. But you really should tell them. Those boys are stronger than you think."

I shook my head at his insight. Maybe he was right, but I still didn't want to burden them further. I looked him in the eye and saw his conviction in what he was saying. Even though I was probably some kind of valuable alchemy breakthrough or something, he was promising that he would keep my secret.

And the funny thing was…I believed him. Even though outwardly he was arrogant and controlling, today I witnessed a new side of the man, a side that had me trusting him irrevocably. Despite the way he handled Edward, Al and I like we were pawns in his game of chess, he seemed to really care about the people who worked under him and never gave us anything we couldn't handle. I hoped that at some point we could truly become friends. He seemed like he had his own dark secrets that he needed to heal from. I hoped that some day I could return the favor and help him heal a little as well.

The door banged open with a loud crack and I jumped badly, the little creature in my lap giving a startled meep before crawling back into my shirt and clinging to my skin. Mustang sat calmly and unruffled across from me, not even turning to see what the commotion was.

"Sir, incoming! I couldn't distract them for much longer," Havoc said, panting as though he had been running a long distance. I noticed that his short blonde hair was wet and wondered if he had been in the rain.

"Distract who," I asked, bewildered. My heart was still pounding.

"Good job, Havoc. You kept them away longer than I thought you would."

I looked between the two men in confusion wondering who they were talking about, when a loud pounding from the hall and a certain obnoxious yelling answered my question for me.

"I swear, when I find him, I'm going to–"

"Brother, calm down!"

"But Al, he had me stuck with that daughter happy maniac for an hour! I swear, if I see one more picture–"

"How is that Havocs fault!?"

"Because, Al! He kept asking _questions_! I thought it would never end!"

Edward and Alphonse burst into the room and Ed looked around frantically, a furious expression on his face. Havoc, who had snuck into Mustang's storage closet with a half terrified look, was no-where to be seen.

Ed's eyes landed on me and he blinked in surprise. "Alex, where the hell have you been?"

"Right here," I said, amused. "You guys left in such a hurry, but I wanted to have a cup of coffee and dry off. So I loafed around for a bit."

Ed narrowed his eyes suspiciously and glanced between Mustang and myself. I looked over to the colonel as well and noticed with surprise that somehow he had found a piece of paper to read over and was ignoring us completely.

"Well, come on," Ed said impatiently. "Gracia's making stew and Hughes said we should get going if we want to eat it hot." A slightly sick expression crossed his face. "I hope he finally ran out of pictures, or I'm going to go insane!"

"Brother, he won't need pictures, Elicia will actually be there for him to fawn over." Al said, sounding amused.

"Ugh, didn't think about that…"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Thanks for the coffee, Mustang." I walked over to the door towards my retreating brothers. I paused at the exit and looked back at the colonel. He had not looked up from his paperwork, but when I glanced back, he gave me a slight nod and I smiled.

o-0-o

The walk to the Hughes was swift. It was still raining, and I grumbled about getting wet again when I had just dried off. I would be very grateful when I was finally able to change out of these wet clothes.

Hughes met us at the door of his house and we piled in swiftly, Ed and I leaving our bags and coats by the door so we wouldn't drip everywhere. Gracia was nice enough to bring us towels and we dried off before stepping into the living room. A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace giving the room a nice warm temperature. I shuddered in relief as I began to thaw out and Edward rubbed at his ports irritably, trying to get rid of the stinging numbness.

"Come in and warm yourselves up, boys, I'll be right back with some hot coffee for you to drink. Feel free to use the restroom to change," Gracia said generously. She smiled at us warmly and I couldn't help but notice how happy she looked. She must have been enjoying raising her daughter.

Edward flopped down on the couch as soon as he and I had changed into our dry clothes and I sighed in relief to finally not be damp. I hadn't felt properly dry since we had gotten off the train that morning. I looked around curiously and somewhat trepidatiously at the distinct lack of small children in the room. I looked questioningly at Hughes.

"The kids are sleeping at the moment. I'll wake them up when it is time for dinner," the man said, noticing my discomfort. I nodded nervously. Ed poked me in the side and I swiped at his hand.

"Relax Alex, Nina is not mad at you."

"Yeah, but…"

"It's true," Gracia said, walking into the room with a tray of coffee cups. She handed them out to each of us. Alphonse didn't touch his, as usual, but I could tell he appreciated the sentiment. "She hasn't spoken at all since the incident except for a few halting words, so I can't be entirely sure what she is thinking, but every time you are mentioned I sense no ill will from her. In fact, I would say that she is worried about you more than anything."

"I shouldn't have left her. I still think about it all the time…"

"Alex, you can't keep blaming yourself for that," Al said from his position by the fireplace. "You were injured and distraught. There was nothing you could have done."

I stood and moodily stared into the fire. I knew that. It didn't make the guilt any easier, however. Not until I really saw her would my mind be at ease.

"Can I see her now," I asked Gracia. The new mother looked at the clock with a considerate expression and then nodded.

"Yes, nap time should just about be over. I'll go wake the little ones now." She placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me comfortingly. "You'll see. She'll be so happy to see you!"

I nodded but my gut still clenched in knots. As the seconds ticked by I could hear Hughes and the boys chatting behind me, but I was too distracted by my nervousness to listen in on what they were saying.

Gracia returned a few minutes later and I looked behind me. She stood with little Elicia in her arm, the babe awake and looking around at her surroundings in delight. And standing behind Gracia, clinging to her skirt and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, was Nina.

"Nina, look who has come to visit," Gracia said gently to the girl.

Nina looked around with blurrily. She looked just as I remembered her. Her sleepy eyes were that same shade of brown and her hair was still bound in her favorite braids. She noticed Edward and Alphonse first and her face lit up in recognition. Ed smiled and Alphonse gave a little wave. She ran forward, her arms open to hug Edward, and he caught her as she jumped into his lap.

"Heh, hey Nina, how are you doing?"

She pulled back and smiled, although she didn't say anything. Ed ruffled her hair and she gave a silent giggle. Then she noticed me standing behind the couch.

Her expression froze on her face, and here eyes widened in shock. Then her smile dropped, and my heart plummeting into my feet. Here it was. The rejection I was fearing.

The room was completely silent for a second, and then Nina's eyes filled with tears, and to my great surprise, she got out of Edward's lap and threw her arms around me with a sob.

"Nina?" I gasped as I knelt down to hug her.

"Al-Alex…" she said through her sobs.

Hughes gasped and Gracia hid a smile behind her hand. "Wow, I think that's the first time I've heard her voice in weeks," Hughes said.

I held Nina close as she cried and after a few moments she pulled back and looked into my eyes, her own brown ones still streaming with tears.

"Alex…where were you…you j-just disappeared," she reprimanded in the sweet voice I had not known I had missed so greatly. "Uncle Hughes said you were hurt…and that you had to go away…"

"Oh baby…" I said, tears also filling my eyes. I pulled her close, her sweet baby scent filling my nose. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I had to leave you."

I shuddered as Nina patted my hair gently. I pressed my face in her neck, so relieved that she was ok. "It's ok, big brother, don't cry," she whispered.

I huffed a laugh but did not let her go. "You stop crying first," I joked weakly. I didn't let the tears fall, but it was a close thing. Ed and Al, who had been watching silently, exchanged a look and a smile.

Nina pulled back and rubbed her eyes with the back of her tiny fist and then looked at me as if to say 'see, I stopped'. I laughed at her cute expression and ruffled her hair. The little chimera chose that moment to finally poke its head out of my shirt, and Nina gave a startled yip.

"Oh, don't worry about this little guy," I said with a smile. "He won't hurt you."

Tentatively the little girl put out her hand and petted the chimera's tiny head. It let out that strange purring sound again and Nina giggled. With her smile, I finally felt a bit of the burden the Tucker Incident had left me with lift off my shoulders. It seemed like a lot of my burdens were being eased today, and I was starting to feel that maybe things were finally looking up.

"Hate to interrupt," Hughes said from across the room from his seat on the couch. Gracia had taken Elicia into the kitchen and a lovely smell started to drift into the room as she began to make dinner. "But what is that thing?"

"Oh, I think it's some kind of chimera," Al answered him, and Hughes looked over to the large suit of armor. "I found him in an ally this morning and he's been clinging to Alex since."

"Aren't chimeras dangerous," Hughes asked dubiously, giving the small scaled feline a second look.

"Usually I think," Ed said, "but this one seems to be pretty harmless."

"Well, as long as you say so…" The little chimera wriggled out of my shirt and crawled up Nina's arm, causing the little girl to laugh in great hiccupping kid laughs. Hughes smiled at the child. "Anyway, it's good to see her smile again…"

"Dinner's ready," Gracia called, poking her head into the living room. We all piled into the kitchen and sat around the table, Nina never letting go of my hand. I clung to her just as tightly, not out of fear, but out of reassurance that we were both ok and together again, despite everything that had happened.

Gracia served stew to us all in great steaming bowls, and I could see from across the table that Ed was practically drooling. I smiled at his excited expression. We had been eating nothing but traveling food for a while, and it had been a long time since he had had anything homemade. I wondered though if he knew that stew had milk in it. If he did, would he suddenly hate it? I never did understand why he disliked milk so much…

"Dig in everybody," Gracia said, finally sitting down and serving herself. Ed did not hesitate and immediately began shoveling food in his mouth, only to have his face turn red when he realized that it was still piping hot.

I chuckled and then looked at my own food. It looked delicious. There was just one tiny problem…I hadn't been hungry since before Xenotime. Or, to be more accurate, it felt like I didn't need to eat, like a couple hours after eating a large meal when you are not hungry yet, but not full either. This...worried me. It was obviously some kind of reaction to the red stone I had consumed up to this point. I tried not eating for a couple of days, and the only thing I got from that was this weird craving that I could not place. It wasn't hunger, but something…else. Almost like a thirst or and itch that needed to be scratched but you just couldn't find it. Food held back that strange craving though, so even though I never got hungry anymore, I still ate as normally as possible.

Well, there was that, but there was also the fact that I had not told my brothers that this was happening yet. I hoped after a while it would just pass, or that if I somehow denied that it was happening it would just go away. Just like if I ignored the fact that I wasn't human, _it_ would go away…

I shook myself out of my depressing contemplations when Nina, who had been sticking close to my side, noticed that I hadn't eaten anything yet and held out a piece of bread for me to bite. I smiled and complied dramatically, causing the small girl to giggle and do it again. Heh, maybe eating wasn't such a chore if I could do it this way.

"Ah, I wish you were around all the time to feed me, Nina," I exclaimed, giving the girl a little side hug. Nina giggled and tried to feed me a spoonful of soup. Everyone at the table enjoyed the rest of dinner, amused by Nina feeding me. The little chimera, not to be forgotten, sat on Nina's shoulder as she fed it as well. It didn't seem to care for the bread, but it ate up the meat in the stew with peculiar jerking motions of its head, and when it was full it curled up in the child's lap and purred loudly.

After a very entertaining time at the table, where more stew landed on my face than in my mouth and where Edward ate three helpings and ended up stuffed, dinner ended and Gracia, after cleaning up, left to put the little ones to bed.

At first Nina did not want to let me go, even going so far as to tear up.

"Nina, I'll be here when you wake up. I promise," I said as she clung to my pant leg and looked at me with puppy eyes.

"Pwomise," she whimpered, her words slurring slightly as her eyes drooped in exhaustion. They were still red from crying earlier, and her forlorn expression nearly broke my heart. I placed my hand on her cheek gently.

"Promise."

Gracia took Nina by the hand and pulled her up the stairs, whispering to her quietly. The little chimera, which had been clinging to Nina, jumped off when it was nearly out of my sight and scurried across the floor, climbing up my pant leg and crawling back under my shirt to cling to my chest. I pet it through the cloth, bemused.

"That thing really likes you," Hughes commented. We had moved back into the living room and were sipping on some tea.

"Yeah, though I have no idea why."

"Enough about that thing," Ed said suddenly. "I actually have a question for you Hughes."

"Yeah, what?"

"Have you ever heard of an alchemist doctor who is able to heal patients with a flash of red light," Ed asked, leaning forward. Al and I focused in on the conversation. Yeah, if anyone knew who this mysterious doctor was, it would be Hughes!

"Heals with a red light? That's pretty vague," Hughes said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Where did you hear about it?"

"In Xenotime, there was an epidemic going around a few years ago. Some locals said he was able to heal them, although no other medicine was working."

"Well," Hughes said, leaning back, "there aren't that many medical alchemists out there. It's a very imprecise method of healing and more often than not causes more damage than it cures, because you have to have an absolute understanding of the human body and the ailment you are treating. Alchemist doctors are usually highly specialized, or are regular doctors who use alchemy on only certain cases where they know exactly what is wrong. That being said, I can come up with three off the top of my head. Why the interest though? Is one of you considering becoming an alchemist doctor?"

We glanced at each other, and I could see that Ed was struggling to decide whether to tell Hughes about our new interest. Would he react as Mustang had, and try to warn us away? I shrugged, and when Ed looked at Al, he did the same. He might, but then again, he might know something vital to our search.

"No, we're not interested in becoming doctors. It was the way he did it. Apparently, he was able to use alchemy without equivalent exchange. We think he may have a philosopher's stone."

For a moment, Hughes was silent. The fire crackled behind us, warming our backs while we waited for his answer. His face was serious, and when he finally spoke, his voice was as well.

"So, this is the path you have chosen to get your bodies back."

I blinked, but really I shouldn't have been surprised that Hughes knew of our story. He was head of investigations after all, not to mention Mustang's best friend.

"Yes," Edward said with conviction, his eyes molten gold in the firelight. All of our stares were unwavering on Hughes as he took in all of our expression. He sighed.

"I suppose I don't have to tell you that that path is dangerous….no? I can see that someone has already informed you. Alright then. The alchemist you are looking for is, without a doubt, Tim Marcoh, the Crystal Alchemist."

"Tim Marcoh," Ed mumbled.

"That's right. I don't know much about him, but I do know that he was there in the war several years ago."

"You mean the Ishvalan Uprising," Ed said.

Hughes nodded. I wanted to ask about the war, since it was the first I had heard of it, but I kept quiet. If it was important, I was sure I would find out later.

"Right. He was one of several doctors that were there, and he was also an alchemist who studied the red stone and the philosopher's stone, among other things."

Ed's eyes lit up in excitement and he leaned forward eagerly. "Where can I find him?"

Hughes shook his head. "No one knows. After the final battle in Ishval, he deserted and disappeared from all records. The military hasn't been able to track him down since."

Edward sat back in disappointment, his enthusiasm gone as quickly as it came. He sighed. "So much for that lead," he muttered.

"But brother, at least we know he exists and is out there. Who knows, we might get lucky," Al said, optimistic as always. Ed didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway.

"On another note, I want you boys to be careful while staying in Central," Hughes said, changing the subject.

"What do you mean," I asked. Ed appeared to be sulking next to Alphonse, and seemed to be in his own head. Probably calculating the odds of us just happening upon Marcoh. It didn't seem all that likely to me, but odder things have happened.

"There's a killer on the lose."

Ed came out of his thoughts and began paying attention again. "Who is it?"

Hughes crossed his arms. "We don't actually know. All we know is that it is the same person, because his MO is always the same. And that he is targeting state alchemists and anyone who gets in his way."

"Just state alchemists? Why," I said, glancing over at Ed worriedly. His arms were crossed, and he had a serious expression on his face.

"No idea. Just promise me you three will be careful? He hasn't struck in over a month, but that does not mean he's gone. He's already killed thirteen people."

"We'll be careful," Ed said, but it seemed like he was already falling back into his own thoughts. Hughes grunted, not looking convinced, but accepted our answer for now.

"Let's get you boys to bed. Ed, you are expected at base tomorrow." Ed grumbled, but nodded.

We grabbed our stuff and followed Hughes up the stairs and he put us in the spare bedroom. It only had two beds, but Alphonse of course didn't need one. I changed out of my day clothes feeling slightly odd with my extra little attachment, which still clung to my chest stubbornly. I poked it, but it didn't seem to want to budge, so I left it be.

Edward hit the bed and fell asleep immediately as usual, his soft snores filling the room. Alphonse bid us goodnight and left the room, claiming that he had seen some interesting books in the Hughes' living room that he would like to read. The door closed with a soft click and I froze in my nightly preparations, listening to his metal feet clank down the stairs.

I looked over to the vacant bed in the dim light of the street lamp outside and wondered, not for the first time, if I should even bother. In addition to never being hungry since Xenotime, I had been finding it increasingly hard to fall asleep and stay that way. I still got fatigued when doing a lot of physical activities, but I seemed to regenerate my energy just by staying still. I would have thought that after several sleepless nights I would have gone insane because of mental exhaustion, but for some reason it didn't seem like this body was limited in that way. I looked down at my hands bitterly. It was just another thing that seemed to make me less human, and I was really starting to resent these changes that I had been going through.

I looked out the window into the night, and realized that for the first time since we had come here, it had stopped raining. I looked between the window and the bed, and then at Edward, who was sawing logs on his own bed. Sleep seemed unlikely, so, making sure not to make too much noise, I changed back into my clothes and coat and gently opened the window. I looked to my right and left, taking in the crisp night air and seeing that the street below was completely empty, and all other lights in the house had been put out save for the living room, where I knew Al was. I considered for a moment where I should go, when I noticed that there was a vine crawling up the wall to my left that looked like it went up to the roof. My mind made up, I jumped lightly onto the windowsill and grabbed on to the thick plant, pulling myself up hand over hand.

With a quiet grunt, I pulled myself up onto the roof, careful not to jostle my little friend too much, and looked up. The sky was still gray and stormy, but as I watched, the thick couds moved aside and the moon and a patch of sky was suddenly revealed, bathing the area surrounding me in white light. The still wet rooftop glimmered around me, giving everything an ethereal glow. As I looked up at the moon, feeling a bit melancholic, the little chimera crawled out of my shirt and clung to my shoulder, looking around curiously. It wrapped its long tail around my neck and I patted its head affectionately.

"Wow, you really seem to like me, little guy. I guess you and I are kind of the same," I mused. The little creature tilted its head at my voice, but then, like a cat, it seemed to lose interest in me and continued to look around. "We are both not quite what we are supposed to be. It's strange to suddenly wake up one day and realize that you are not what you thought you were. You used to be a cat and a lizard, and now your suddenly a mishmash of the two." I looked back up at the moon. "You know, I used to be human. And now…I'm not so sure anymore."

A voice interrupted my musings and I turned around, startled. "Just because you are not quite human anymore doesn't mean you're less of a person." It was Alphonse. Somehow, he had snuck onto the roof when I wasn't paying attention. No, I would have heard him. He must have been up here the whole time. He was facing me, and he was gazing up at the moon as well from his seated position on the edge of the highest point on the roof. His armor gleamed in the white moonlight, and against the dark glimmering background of the roof and the silent city behind him, he looked surreal and beautiful.

My heart rate calmed, feeling perfectly safe in his presence, and I also gazed back at the moon. "How do you know that," I whispered into the quiet night. "I don't need to eat anymore, I never sleep, I can somehow heal rapidly on my own. And I freaked out badly in Xenotime, becoming violent and dangerous. I'm just some unstable monster, a freak of nature. How can you say that I'm not somehow less than I was…when I was normal…"

"I've noticed," he said, slight accusation in his voice. I flinched slightly. I knew he hated it when I kept things from him. He _always_ notices it when I'm trying to hide something..."Are you saying that I am less than I was?" Al said quietly. "I can't sleep, I never eat, I can feel nothing, and at first I could not control my inhuman strength at all. You could say then that I was dangerous as well." He looked down at his hands, looking like a melancholy hero from an epic. "What am I? Just a soul in a tin can. Am I also not human because of what I have become?"

My heart panged painfully and I looked at him with wide eyes. "No! No, of course not. You are probably the most human person I know, Al. Don't you ever say you are less because of what happened!" How could anyone say that about Al? Sweet Alphonse, who rescued kittens from the rain, who took care of his older brother with such patience, and who I had bonded with over and over again in our journeys. His compassion and calm, his laughter and his grief, I had felt them all. And if there were any words to describe just what he was, they did not include anything close to the word 'less'.

Al looked seriously at me, and even from a few yards away I could feel his conviction. "If you say I am human, then you are as well." I shook my head in denial, but he didn't let me say anything. "What do you think makes us human, Alex? Is it the fact that we eat or sleep? Is it the fact that we can reproduce? Build houses? I don't think so. What makes us human is our compassion for others, helping each other when we are in need and caring about the world around us. It's our soul. Do you think you are somehow less human than that guy Yoki, or Cornello, or even Mugear? Do you think I am?" I shook my head slower this time. No I did not think that we were less than they were. In fact, being compared to them made my skin crawl.

Al laughed lightly at my disgusted expression. "There you see. Even though we are different, we are human just the same."

I smiled up at the boy, bewildered at his ridiculous strength. "How…" How had I ever thought that he wasn't mature enough to understand my feelings? I shook my head at my own naiveté. "You're my hero, you know that?"

"Oh, um, I don't know about that," Al said, shaking his hands in front of his face and suddenly breaking my image of him as a tragic hero. He turned back into just Alphonse, humble and childish. I chuckled at how cute he was suddenly being, and in that moment I felt more connected to Alphonse than I had ever felt when we were sharing emotions. I thought that maybe, just maybe, that intimacy I had been missing was right in front of me all along. I sat beside him, not touching but almost, and the three of us, a chimera, a not quite human, and a suit of amor, turned our eyes to the sky and watched the moon until the clouds closed again, throwing us into darkness.

 _Um, wow. Let me just pull out of that melancholy mood for a minute…ok. Sorry guys, I know I promised some action, but my muse kind of ran away with me and this happened. I wasn't really expecting this, but the little chimera was suddenly way more of a character than I intended it to be. I didn't realize it was going to help Alex find his humanity…oh well. Wow, lots of good things happen for Alex in this chapter: he finally confides in someone, he makes up with Nina, and even gets a pep talk from Al. Yay!_

 _Next chapter: Action. No really, I promise this time! There will be fighting and buildings being destroyed and little chimeras falling from the sky!_

 _Thanks everyone for continuing to stick with me! I rely on you to keep me motivated._


	28. Chapter 28

_Important message: If you haven't read the real chapter 27, go back! It's fixed! For some reason it was a carbon copy of chapter 25…So, the first, like, 15 of you who tried to read that chapter and were like 'wtf', you can see it now. Anyway._

In the second story of a decent sized house in Central City, a young boy lay snoring softly in the dim glow of the gloomy dawn. The sky was still covered in gray clouds and the gentle rain pattered against the window, soothing the sleeping young man. Loose blonde hair, a dull gold in the dim light, covered his closed eyes. One who knew him would know that when those eyes were opened, they were a fierce challenging gold. But for now, they were closed peacefully. He was wearing a black tank top that rode up his exposed stomach, and an automail hand rested on his navel. It gleamed dully in the light as well, the steel trailing all the way up to the sleeping boy's slightly exposed collarbone where it met flesh with jagged scars. His other arm, tanned even in the pale light, hung off the bed. His legs were obscured by the blanket, which was draped over his lower half, one leg bent at the knee and the other, another automail limb, resting in the tent made by the white cloth. With the dull dawn behind him, he looked like a sleeping angel; all smooth, hard planes with a soft expression, relaxed in slumber. I almost felt bad for what I was about to do…Nah.

"EDWARD!" I screamed exuberantly, shattering the peace like a bomb going off in a church.

"GAH!" The sleeping angel suddenly became a mess of terrified limbs as he jumped a foot into the air and scrambled to his knees, getting tangled in the blanket in the process. He arched his back in the air like a startled cat and looked around the room with wide blurred gold eyes. "What! Where's the fire?" His eyes locked on me and squinted at my bright expression. "Alex…?"

"Big brother," I shouted, tackling Ed back onto the bed. Ed landed with a huff, looked down at me hugging his waist tightly in bewilderment.

"Alex, what the hell?!"

I pushed off of him and he grunted, winded. I threw my arms out wide and said to the world in general, "It's a glorious day! How could you possibly still be sleeping on a day like this?"

Ed looked up at me, still sprawled out from where I had practically thrown him, and looked out the window. It was pouring buckets, of course, and he looked back at me as if I was the craziest person in Amestris.

"…Right," he said, shuffling off the bed and backing away slowly. A chuckle drew our attention to the door, where Alphonse stood against the wall. Edward shot a look at his younger brother and gestured towards me questioningly. Al just shook his head, amused.

The little chimera crawled out of my shirt, startled at my sudden jerky movements, and I grabbed it off my shoulder and began spinning around with it. It screeched and wriggled about, but I just laughed. With an angry swipe of its paws it escaped my manic grip and ran out of the room, complaining loudly all the while.

"Ouch," I said with a wide grin on my face, rubbing where it had swatted me.

"Alex…are you feeling alright?" Ed said tentatively, lifting his hands in front of him.

"Why, Edward, I'm wonderful, thanks for asking!" I exclaimed, suddenly pulling the slightly shorter boy back into my arms and squeezing hard.

"Gah! Ok, ok, leggo!"

"Alex, you're suffocating him," Al said lightly from the door, his voice shaking with laughter. I looked up at him with big innocent eyes and then looked down at Edward, who was struggling to breathe. I let him go and he stepped back with a gasp.

"Heh, sorry Ed."

Ed glared at me and suddenly pounced, throwing me back on the floor. We mock wrestled for several minutes, me laughing at Ed's irritation. Hughes found us a few minutes later.

"Well, aren't you boys lively this morning," He said, poking his head into the room.

"Morning Hughes," I wheezed, my head locked behind Edward's arms, cutting off my air supply. Ed was still glaring down at me, but had frozen when Hughes entered the room. I tapped his arm in defeat and he finally let me go.

"Not by choice," Ed grumbled, looking over at the clock and groaning at what time it was. It was only six in the morning.

Hughes strolled into the room, already in his full military blues, and put his hands on his hips in amusement. "Well, might as well get up then. The kids are already awake and Gracia's making scrambled eggs! We are expected at eight, Ed, so get ready."

Ed, who had perked up at the mention of breakfast, wilted back down again. "Ugh, I really don't want to see Mustang's mug so early in the morning," he grumbled.

"Awe, don't be like that, Ed, he's really a great guy once you get to know him," Hughes said, smiling.

Ed gave him a dubious look and Hughes left with a chuckle. "Breakfast is in twenty minutes," he yelled over his shoulder. Ed grunted and then looked down at me. I was still sprawled on my back, watching the goings on with a big grin still plastered on my face.

"What's got you so worked up this morning," Ed grumbled irritably. He looked down at my fully clothed form with questioning eyes and I just shrugged.

"Nothing really, I just played with Al all night, that's all."

"You still can't sleep then," Ed asked, frowning slightly. I blinked in surprise.

"How did you know…"

Ed lifted his eyebrow and gave me a 'do I look like an idiot to you' look. "Alex, you couldn't keep a secret to save your life."

"Oh…" I said, frowning slightly. I hadn't expected even oblivious Edward to notice something was up. Just how transparent was I? I thought I had been hiding it so well…

Ed flicked me hard on the forehead and I yelped in surprise, swatting his hand away. "Doesn't matter," he said with a small smile, "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

Twenty minutes later found us all sitting in the Hughes' dining room, once again sharing a meal together. Nina was sitting on my lap, feeding me biscuits. She giggled every time I dramatically took a piece from her small hand and thanked her profusely.

"So, what are you boys going to do today," Hughes asked me and Alphonse. I looked up from Nina and exchanged a glance with Al. I hadn't thought about it, but while Edward was doing whatever it was he was supposed to be doing while not out on missions, we wouldn't have anything to do.

"Well," Al said thoughtfully, "I guess I could check out the library. I heard that there is a great resource for alchemists at the first branch."

"Hm…I think only state alchemists are allowed into the first branch," Hughes said, rubbing his chin.

"Oh…"

"Can't they make an exception, dear? Alphonse did pass the written exam after all," Gracia said, noticing Al's suddenly forlorn figure.

"Afraid not," Hughes said with an apologetic smile. "You can check out the second branch, though. It is the branch used by all of the universities in the region."

"Really," Al said, seeming excited. I rolled my eyes. I had never met anyone who was so enthusiastic about studying. "I'll check that out then."

"What about you?" Hughes asked, looking over at me. I glanced between my two brothers, one going to a library of all places and the other one probably going to be filling out paperwork or something all day. I sighed. Not exactly the most exciting choices. What I really needed was a bit of exercise.

"Hey, do you think I could use the military's training grounds," I asked suddenly. "I could really use a few sparring matches. Feels like I've been doing nothing but laying about lately."

"Hm, well it is a bit unusual, but I don't see why not. You just need to ask permission from the commanding officer on the field today and you should be able to use them."

"Great," I said, brightening up.

"You _want_ to be out in this rain?" Ed said, glaring out the window into the sodden streets.

"Did you stop training with Izumi just because it was raining?" I shot back. Edward grimaced and then shrugged.

A few minutes later we were all walking out the door to make the quick dash to Hughes' car. The chimera was nowhere to be seen, and I found it a little lonely without it clinging to my chest, but I shrugged it off. Maybe it had finally gotten sick of me and was on its own now that it felt better. Whatever the case, I hoped it would stay safe. I got into the car without a backwards glance.

Edward and I were walking down the hall towards Mustang's wing alone some time later. Al had immediately wandered toward the library and Hughes had bid us good morning before strolling to his own department. Ed walked through the doors without so much as a 'how do you do' to the others in the office and walked straight into Mustang's office, a sour expression on his face.

I sighed after the volatile boy. "Good morning, Alex," Hawkeye said, delicately bringing a cup of coffee to her lips and giving me a small smile. She looked fresh compared to the other officers who seemed to still be waking up that morning.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Hawkeye. Radiant as always I see," I said, leaning against her desk and giving her a charming grin.

"Now don't start that," Havoc spoke up from behind me. "Female officers are off limits," he said, gripping his ever-present cigarette between his grinning teeth.

"That's not what you said yesterday," the younger looking officer with thick rimmed glasses, Furey I think his name was, said with a mean smile.

Havoc's face suddenly fell and a depressed cloud hung over his head. "Don't remind me," he moaned.

"What, she dumped you already? That was fast, even for you," A large man with short blonde hair and a goatee said, sipping his coffee.

"Shut up, what do you know, Breda!"

" _I_ have a girlfriend."

I watched the bickering behind me with interest. They were really starting to get at each other's throats, Breda and Havac. I wondered if they were close friends.

"So, what brings you to the office today," Hawkeye said, unfazed by both my obvious come-on and the bickering going on in the background.

"Didn't know what to do with myself, really," I said, glancing at her. "Ed and Al are busy doing either work or studying," at this I rolled my eyes, "and I asked Hughes if I could use the sparring field for a bit."

"Well, Major Armstrong is using the field today, so I'm sure he won't mind."

I looked over at her curiously. "Do you guys usually allow citizens to use the training fields?"

"Heh, no," Furey said, breaking into our conversation, "but you're kind of famous around here. Everyone's heard about how well you can fight." He assumed an announcer voice and lifted his hand dramatically. "'Alex Elric, brother of the famous Fullmetal Alchemist! Younger than even Edward himself and still just as strong'! Like that."

"Oh, I didn't know we were all that famous," I said, a bit amused. "Well, I guess if it lets me use the training grounds…"

"NO WAY!" I heard Ed suddenly shout through the doors of Mustang's office. Everyone stopped what they were doing, even Breda and Havoc who were having a mock wrestling match, and stared at the closed doors. Ed suddenly burst through the doors and backed away, a stubborn expression on his face.

"Come on, Ed, you can't keep going around in leather pants and a bright red jacket. You're a part of the military now," Mustang said, walking out after him with a smirk. He held up a blue uniform on a hanger and Ed backed away as if he was being threatened by it. "I even had it tailored to your size."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Ed shouted angrily, although he kept retreating.

"Well, I had to have it custom made for you since you're so…"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, you bastard!"

"Just put it on, chief," Breda said from the other side of the room. "It's not all that bad. People respect the uniform."

"Chief…" Ed mumbled to himself before shaking it off. "No way! I'm not going to dress like one of your cronies, Mustang."

"Ouch," Havoc said, placing his hand over his own blue uniform.

"Awe, come on Ed, I think you'd look great in it." I glanced Mustang up and down, taking in the uniform. "It's actually pretty fashionable as far as military uniforms go." It had a high collard jacked that was lined with a gold thread over the blue, and it had a flap at the chest that seemed more fashion than function. Under the jacket was a pair of high waisted blue pants that had a kind of skirt over them that opened in the front and back. They finally tucked down into black cargo boots. Overall it was pretty elaborate and I wondered if it was a show of intimidation by the display of wealth. I realized my stare was lingering a little to long on Mustang and cleared my throat with a slight blush. "And besides, people won't mistake Al for the Fullmetal Alchemist anymore if you actually look the part," I said, pretending not to notice Mustang's smirk.

"He's got a point there, kid," Havoc said, shrugging. Ed, realizing he was outnumbered, grimaced and backed away like a cornered animal. "No means no!" He shouted before running out the door.

Mustang sighed and pinched his nose in annoyance. He tossed Ed's uniform over to Havoc and the man caught it with a questioning look. "You convince him, Jean. I don't have time for babysitting today."

"You got it, boss," Havoc said, grinning a bit deviously. He waved merrily over his shoulder at us before taking off down the hall after Ed.

"Pft, he's just happy to be getting out of paperwork," Breda muttered, looking down at the pile on his desk. Mustang waved over his shoulder before disappearing back into his office and everyone seemed to go back to work. Feeling awkward just standing there, I asked Furey where the training grounds were.

"They are at the north exit on the first floor," he said, his ever present smile on his face. I wondered how such an innocent looking man got into the military. "It's the big field in the center of the complex, you can't miss it!"

After thanking him I left the now quiet office, heading down the stairs. I passed a few uniforms, and to my surprise, they all acknowledged me as we crossed paths. Huh, there really must have been something to what Furey was saying about us being famous. I wondered what exactly they had heard…

I exited through the doors Furey had indicated, instantly getting soaked in the rain. I didn't mind it though, because I saw exactly what I was looking for. A large field surrounded by white buildings was populated by a large group of soldiers, the mud covered men and women seeming to be going through military drills. Their shouts echoed of the stone walls as they appeared to be having a mock battle. Off to the side, another group of soldiers looked to be practicing with weapons, and yet another group seemed to be doing physical training through an obstacle course. I jogged over to that group, as it looked like several were just standing in line waiting their turn on the course, and asked a couple of large soldiers for help.

"Excuse me, where can I find major Armstrong?" I asked, tapping one of the men on the shoulder. He turned and I jumped back in surprised recognition. He had black, short cropped hair and grey-blue eyes that stared down at me in surprise, and he looked to be around Mustang's age.

"Oh, it's you. Never thought I would see you again," he said, his voice as monotone as I remembered it. It was one of the men I had seen in Youswell working for Yoki. I remembered how coldly he had spoken and how he had almost injured a boy from that town and I stepped back, gritting my teeth. The tall man put his hands up in surrender to my raised hackles. "Whoa, don't be so hostile. I'm not going to attack you or anything."

"You were one of those jerks with Yoki! I watched you almost maim some poor kid," I spat.

"Nah, I wouldn't have done it. I noticed that your brother was there and figured he would stop me. Although, I thought it would be the tall one in the armor, not the short one who did." Edward had stopped him right before he had brought a wicked looking sword down on a kid who had insulted Yoki.

I lowered my guard slightly, confused. "So, you weren't really following Yoki's orders?"

The man shook his head. "Me and my partner were there to investigate Yoki, same as you. That man had been getting away with bankrupting that town for years and embezzling money from the military. We were sent in by the investigations department to check it out. We were gathering information from him after we earned his trust. If Edward hadn't shown up, we would have brought him down through military means. But, well, his way worked to I guess…" he scratched the back of his head. "Ruined months of work," he mumbled.

"Oh…um, sorry about that," I said, standing up again and giving him a dubious expression. "So…investigations department, huh. So you must work with Hughes…"

"Yeah, he's my commanding officer. My name is Barret, by the way. I don't think we've ever properly met," he said sticking out his hand. I took it, still not entirely sure he was telling the truth. "Are you here to train?" he asked suddenly, still gripping my hand. I nodded. "Then we should have a match. I see you've been trained by my father and I want to test your skill."

My mouth dropped open in surprise. "You're Orkan's son?!"

"The one and only," he said, smiling for the first time. And then it clicked. He had the same lopsided grin as that old man, and I recalled that when he had been walking away from me in Youswell he had waved in a gesture that had seemed so familiar at the time, although I couldn't place why. Now I realized that it was a gesture he must have picked up from his father.

"I had no idea…" I said. "Master Orkan never talked much about himself."

"Yeah, that old man doesn't like talking about himself much. He never told me about you either. It's strange. I thought he had given up on training students," Barret said with a frown. He suddenly looked over his shoulder as his name was shouted across the field. The captain was waving at him to take his turn on the course and he waved in acknowledgment. He let go of my hand and gestured to the other side of the field. "You'll find major Armstrong training the new recruits over there. Whatever you do, don't let him hug you." With those mysterious words, the man spun around and began the course, falling on his stomach without a second thought to the mud staining his uniform and crawling under barbed wire. I watched for a moment with my mouth hanging open before spinning on my heel and walking in the direction he indicated. That was…unexpected. I never even knew that Orkan had married, let alone had a son. Excitement rose in me as I remembered how he had expertly used a sword in our brief encounter in Youswell. I couldn't wait to cross blades with him. Orkan's son had to be as least as skilled as he was! I resolved to call that old bastard and scold him for not telling me something so important.

I skirted around the edge of the yard and immediately spotted the man who must be major Armstrong. Actually I was pretty surprised I had missed him in the first place. He was huge! I was wondering where in this world there were men large enough to where suits of armor as big as Alphonse, and here was my answer. Armstrong was towering over the recruits he was having do pushups in the mud he was gesturing widely with huge muscular arms. For some reason, the large man wasn't wearing a shirt, although it was pretty cold outside. As I got closer I started to hear what he was saying.

"That's it men," he shouted in a deep exuberant voice. "Push like your life depends on it! There's only one way on this earth to obtain such exquisite beauty and strength as this, and it is through hard work! Pour out your very souls if you ever wish to be as gloriously strong as me! Alex Louise Armstrong!" He flexed his considerable muscles and the soldiers in front of him gave him looks varying from consternation to outright confusion. I myself had never seen a more flamboyant man, and I stared dumbly in surprise. I even imagined that he was surrounded by sparkles.

I backed away slowly, not quite sure I wanted to talk to the bald man, when he suddenly spotted me, and before I could react, ran over to me in three large bounds and slid to a stop. Up close, I could see that he wasn't entirely bald, and for some reason had a single lock of hair curling on his forehead, blonde like his mustache, and sparkling blue eyes. He came at me with all the force of a truck and it took all my courage to not back away.

"You," he shouted, and I wondered if that wasn't his default voice. "You are Alex Elric, am I correct?" I nodded, my eyes wide. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit. Did you want to experience my superior training style up close?" He gestured widely to the recruits still struggling to do push-ups, looking like they were about to collapse in the mud. I wondered how long they had been doing those.

"Um, no. I was wondering if I could use the training grounds while Edward was busy," I said, intimidated. Armstrong started shouting again, causing me to jump.

"Oh, such dedication! To come here to train even though you aren't in the military to support your brother! Such devotion!" Before I could react, the exuberant man had me locked in his arms in a bone-crushing hug. I gasped, unable to breathe and seriously worried about my suddenly aching ribs. He released me just as quickly and spun me around to face his men. "Look at young Alex here and follow his example, troops! I myself showed such devotion at his age, and look at me now! Why–"

He began ranting at his still struggling men, some of them glaring at him, and I slipped out from underneath his arm and pulled a tactical retreat. I ran halfway across the field, still holding my newly bruised ribs and feeling as though I had barely escaped with my life. What a character…hard to believe I shared a name with someone so ridiculous.

I assumed I had permission, so I scanned the field looking for Barret, wanting to take him up on his challenge. I spotted him climbing over the last wall of the course and started to head over. He spotted me and I waved. He wiped some mud off his front and began to head in my direction.

"Mew…" I stopped dead in my tracks at the familiar sound. I was standing near the wall close to the building that held Mustang's wing and scanned the ground. It couldn't be…I thought it had ran off…

"Mew…" It was closer now, and I nervously looked over my shoulder to make sure no one had noticed me. I looked forward again. There, crawling along the edge of the wall, was the small chimera that had been following me around. It reached my feet and started to rub against my leg. "What are you doing here," I hissed. This was _not_ a good place for it to be wandering around. What if that general guy spotted us? I noticed that Barret was getting closer and I snatched the small creature from the ground and shoved it in my shirt, the feline giving a startled yip.

"What was that?" Barret asked. I laughed nervously.

"It's just a kitten," I said quickly.

"Really," he said in his monotone voice. "Because it looked like one of those escaped chimeras to me." I gulped and he raised his brow. "Investigations, remember? Anyway, if you want that thing to live, you'd better get it out of here now."

I nodded and looked around furtively before starting to leave. "Don't forget our match," Barret suddenly said. "You owe me one!"

"I'll buy you coffee to make up for it later," I said, waving behind me and running back into the building. Before I dove inside, I noticed that there were a few soldiers staring at me with cold eyes. Not good. I raced back to Mustang's wing and burst in, not caring that I was covering the floor in mud from my boots. I stopped short in surprise. Ed was standing in the middle of the room, frowning deeply. It looked like Havoc had managed to get him into a military uniform. The boy was clad head to toe in blue, and he looked just as good as I thought he would, even making him look a bit taller than he was, the gold thread highlighting his naturally blonde hair. But then again, that boy seemed to look good in anything he put on. I reflected again that that boy would be absolutely gorgeous when he was older... Hawkeye was helping him adjust his collar as he sulked and the other soldiers in the room carefully averted their eyes, although I could tell they were amused. Hawkeyes fussing almost made her look like the boy's mother, preparing him for his first day of highschool or something. The chain from his pocket watch gleamed prominently on the front of his pants.

"Wow, Ed, you look so…professional," I said, for lack of a better (or more appropriate) word.

"And you look like a drowned cat," he said angrily, glaring in my direction. The little chimera squeezed its paws against my chest, reminding me of my current situation.

"Um, Ed, we have a slight problem," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What is it," Ed said, stepping back from Hawkeye. I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room, the boy protesting loudly at the rough treatment. I shut the door in Mustang's men's bewildered faces and dragged my brother through the halls. I filled him in as we ran.

"That thing came back? I thought it ran off this morning!"

"Yeah, well, it somehow found me, and worse, some soldiers saw me pick it up."

Someone shouted at us from down the hall and Ed cursed and grabbed my arm, pulling me out a side door. "You aren't going to get rid of that thing, are you," Ed said, as we waited for the footsteps to pass. He had pulled us into a dark empty room.

"No," I said, "this little guy doesn't deserve to be slaughtered!"

Ed sighed. "I swear you and Alphonse could be the so alike sometimes." He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, then sighed again. "Alright, fine, let's just get this thing out of here first."

I smiled at the reluctant boy and nodded. "Right."

We waited for the footsteps to pass and then we bolted out of the building and into the rain, Ed's blue uniform turning almost black as it got wet. I followed after him as we sprinted out of Central Command and down the street. We ended up next to a small clock tower at the top of a hill, a large staircase going down to our left. We stopped to catch our breaths.

"Alex, brother, what are you two doing out here," Alphonse, who was climbing the staircase, yelled at us from across the way with a wave. He jogged up to us as we rested on the base of the clock. "I was just about to go find you."

"Um, we ran into a little trouble," I said.

"Yeah, genius here got caught with a chimera," Ed said, punching me lightly on the arm.

"You mean that little one? I thought it ran away."

"Yeah, well," I said, getting tired of explaining myself. "It came back. Look, we need to get it somewhere safe before we get caught. Those guys who saw me seem to be after us. If we don't move we'll be in trouble."

"Too late," A male voice said from our right. We whipped around and saw none other than Brigadier General Basque Grand himself. We jumped to our feet as the large man started walking towards us. He was wearing a deep scowl on his face and his iron fisted hands were rigid at his sides.

Edward grabbed my arm and started to run, but we were stopped by the general's commanding voice. "Where do you think you are going Fullmetal? Acknowledge your superior officer."

Ed stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, his eyes blazing in fury. For a moment he looked like he would rebel, but then he reluctantly snapped a salute. "Yes sir," he gritted out between clenched teeth. Grand loomed over us and glared down from his impressive height, causing Edward to go rigid.

"Careful, Fullmetal." He leaned into Edward's face, and I could hear the boy grinding his teeth holding back from punching the man outright. "I would hate to see you disciplined for insubordination. Now hand it over."

I bit my lip, suddenly worried. Was this creature really worth Edward getting in trouble with the military? I looked down between the shivering lump in my shirt and my older brother. Reluctantly, I decided it was not. I stroked the creature one last time in apology and then pulled it out of my shirt. Grand's cold eyes turned to me and I glared back, thrusting the creature at him. It made piteous noises from being exposed to the cold and my hand started shaking, urging me to pull it back. I didn't.

"That's more like it," Grand said, making me shiver in disgust. "You should take lessons in obedience from your younger brother, Fullmetal. You might live longer." The large man snatched the chimera from my hand and I almost threw up trying to hold myself back from attacking him. Alphonse placed a hand on my shoulder and I felt his helplessness and disgust as well, but he held me, and I noticed, Edward, back.

Grand stepped back from us, holding the chimera harshly by its neck. "I have no idea why you are protecting this disgusting thing. It was made by alchemy, an abomination of nature." His words hit me like hammer blows, and I could feel Alphonse was affected as well. He could have been talking about either one of us, not just the squirming creature in his hand. "It was created by alchemists only to be experimented on and then destroyed. It's not even worth as much as a real animal." With a final snort, Grand turned his back on us and began to walk away, the little chimera howling in his grip. Edward looked to both Alphonse and I and saw that we were both shaking. His eyes narrowed and he surged forward suddenly and furiously.

Before Ed reached the general, however, Grand stopped on his own in surprise. In front of him was a tall man with a large scar on his face, his eyes obscured by purple sunglasses under his shock of white hair. With a jolt, I recognized him as the man I had seen shortly after the Tucker Incident.

"Get out of my way," Grand said fiercely, but the man did not budge.

"You're Basque Grand, the Iron Blood Alchemist," the man said in a deep, quiet voice.

"Who wants to know?"

The man lifted his hand in front of his face. "Foolish alchemists who turn their backs on the ways of God," he clenched his hand into a claw, his forearm bulging under his yellow coat, "shall all be punished."

"I see," Grand said, "You must be the blood-thirsty murderer who's been targeting State Alchemists lately," he threw the chimera harshly to the side and it skidded across the ground before getting to its feet and bolting with a cry. Grand lifted his iron-clad fists in front of his face. "Well, you've chosen the wrong target!" With a crash he slammed his fists together and then into the ground. In a flash of blue light the ground convulsed beneath him and cannons were created, immediately firing at the mysterious man. My brothers and I backed up in alarm as the two were suddenly thrown into all out battle, but stayed where we were, watching in bewilderment. It was like watching two titans or demigods clash.

The scarred man dodged Grand's attacks easily, even as he changed tactics and sent iron chains in his direction. "You're not getting away that easily," Grand shouted. He fired a cannon from his hand and the surrounding buildings were damaged badly as the scarred man dodged and weaved.

Suddenly, the scarred assaulter jumped forward and got into Grand' face. With an angry bellow the general brought his fist down, but stumbled back when his opponent slammed his hand into his face and gripped it hard. "Now you perish," the stranger said, and with a startling flash of light, Grand's body seemed to explode from the inside. Ed, who had been standing closest to the fight, flinched back badly as Grand's blood was spewed from the back of his head, splashing him with crimson.

The area was suddenly silent again as we all gaped in shock at the mysterious murderer who still gripped Grand's massive body in one hand. The scarred man dropped the once powerful general, and the body fell with a sick smack on the ground. Edward stumbled back a few steps and I gripped his shoulder, terrified. My other hand hovered over the small of my back where my weapons hid, but I couldn't seem to force myself to move. We stared with wide eyes as the man suddenly turned his harsh eyes onto us.

"So…" he said in his deep voice. "You were a State Alchemist as well." He looked between Edward, Alphonse and me. Then he glared hatefully at the chain of the pocket watch that was prominently displayed at the front of Edward's pants. "I shouldn't be surprised, really, seeing the atrocities you have created." Ed threw his arms back, trying to protect Al and me behind his body. I could feel him shaking just as badly as we were as the menacing man began to stalk forward, carelessly stepping over Grand's body. "I will destroy you!"

Ed spun around and looked at us both with wide terrified eyes. "Run!" I looked back over his shoulder at the menacing devil that was stalking towards us with the promise of death in his gaze and a hand covered in blood. This foe, who had destroyed someone clearly so powerful so easily, was beyond any of us. Without further prompting, Alphonse, Edward and I ran for our lives.

 _Yay, action! Finally! I know you guys appreciated the last chapter, but I love myself a good action scene. it will only get more intense in the next chapter as Scar goes after them with a vengeance. EEEEEEE! So exciting._

 _Also, Orkan has a son? You bet! Because...I wanted to. So there. I hope I'm keeping this story fresh for you all by mixing it up with the new characters. Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of lizard cat or Barret. I'll have fun messing with them later. Just a warning: the next chapter will be from several perspectives so if that confuses you...sorry. It will be cooler to write it that way._

 _Next chapter: Scar angry. More buildings are destroyed. Nuff said. See you next time! I have to study now...sigh..._

 _Review!_


	29. Chapter 29

My heart roared in my ears as I followed Edward closely down the long staircase, Al's steel feet slamming loudly on the ground behind us. Adrenaline spike to the max, I struggled to breathe, almost to the point of hyperventilation. I was reminded vividly of the night I had fled the Tucker estate. It had been raining then too, and instead of the scarred man being my supposed savior, this time he was out for blood.

Edward swore and stumbled badly as the stairs beneath us shifted with a thunderous crack before coming apart in a shower of stone, throwing me and Edward into the air like rag dolls. Abruptly weightless, I screamed, staring wide eyed at the open space below me, my stomach jumping into my throat in terror. Before Ed and I could make it very far, I felt a violent jerk on the back of my collar. Al, who had somehow managed to catch us, me by my jacket and Ed by his shoe, strained to hold on to us as the loosened railing he was clinging to seemed to buckle under our combined weight. I stared down at the cobble stone street several stories below us and scrabbled at Al's hand, trying to get ahold of something, anything.

The scarred man jumped through the debris like a calm jungle cat, and landed on his feet on the platform below. Coolly, he placed his hand on the wall and it shattered under his touch, breaking the precarious grip Alphonse had on the railing and sending us all down to the next level. Ed and I slammed painfully into the stone, but we didn't have a second to rest as the man began stalking towards us again. "Hold on," Ed shouted, slamming his hands on the ground. The stairs writhed and then transformed into a protrusion of stone that extended us out over the street as I held on desperately, the sudden G-force nearly throwing me off.

"You're not getting away that easily," our assaulter claimed, turning our ride into dust. As it deconstructed beneath us, we were thrown down the slope of the street. We tumbled for a few steps before gaining our feet and continuing our desperate flight through the sodden streets.

"What the hell is this guy's problem," Ed exclaimed from behind me. "I don't remember doing anything that would make someone want to kill me!"

"Don't be modest," I said desperately, joking even as I ran for my life. "You are just so good at making friends!"

"Hey, if he's anyone's friend, he's yours! You saw him first!"

"Well you pissed him off!"

"Guys! This really isn't the time!" Al's words were soon proven true as the building beside us suddenly exploded, sending debris into our path. We skidded around the next corner and raced into an alleyway. We were forced to jump back, however, as the scarred man caused part of it to collapse in a violent shower of stone, blocking our exit. He stood menacingly at the only way out, the light behind him causing his shadow to snake into the dark ally. We backed away, cornered.

"Who are you, anyway," Ed shouted. "Why are you after us!?"

"As long as there are creators in this world, there must also be destroyers."

Ed shook his head. "What the hell kind of reason is that?!" Edward looked over and Al and I nodded as one. I took out my tonfa and held them before me aggressively while Alphonse did the same with his armored fists. "Looks like we are going to have to fight!" Ed grabbed a pipe sticking out of the debris behind us and quickly transmuted it into a wicked knife, bringing it in front of him with a clank of metal.

Together, we charged at the man, our feet splashing in the puddles on the street. My heart beat wildly as we got closer to the still composed figure who seemed completely unconcerned that three armed teenagers were charging him. A second later he showed us why.

"Too slow," he said, before spinning rapidly and throwing Ed into the street slamming me and Alphonse back into the alley. I didn't see the blow coming, but I certainly felt it when his foot blasted into my gut and blew the air out of my lungs. I smashed back into the wall with a crack and fell to my hands and knees, coughing and struggling to breath through the pain.

Al got to his feet before me and tried to attack, shielding me behind his large body, but the man was too quick. With a cold gaze he destroyed another section of the wall, sending stone falling down on our heads. I looked up and watched, as if in slow motion, the stones and sharp metal falling towards us. There was nowhere to escape, nowhere to hide, and not even a moment to draw more than a strangled breath for a cry of terror.

The next few moments were a blur of confusion and pain as I screamed. I was slammed into repeatedly, and when the dust cleared I found myself pinned to the ground by stone and iron bars. Alphonse stood above me holding a large section of the wall over us, his arms creaking with the effort, and keeping me from being completely crushed. I struggled to move, but instantly severe spikes of pain through my ribs and legs stopped me and I clenched my teeth in agony.

"Al! Alex!" Ed shouted desperately, rushing back to the alley at the scarred man with a furious cry.

Our attacker merely grabbed Edward's leading arm and the boy was blasted back with a startled yell. The cloth around where the man had touched was instantly shredded, but Ed's arm remained undamaged. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Automail," he said to himself. "Of course. That's why it couldn't be deconstructed like flesh…" He had already dismissed Al and I completely from his mind, turning his back on us to face his true target fully.

I groaned in agony as Al struggled to hold the weight above me, his armor creaking loudly with the strain. My vision blurred and I struggled to stay awake. "Alex, hold on," Al said, strain apparent in his voice. I tried to move, but my bones shifted and cracked under the weight of the stone that was trapping me, and my jaw opened in a silent scream. I could tell that several of my bones were broken, and I stopped moving as terror tore through my veins. I coughed convulsively and blood trickled out of my mouth. I couldn't…breathe…

"Alex, stop moving! Stay with me! Alex!" The stone shifted above us and Al fell to his knees.

Spots danced before my eyes…and then my vision went black.

o-0-o

Edward fell back with a startled cry as the man sent a wave of powerful energy through his fake limb, jarring his entire body and shredding the sleeve of his blue military uniform. Pushing aside the shock, he got back to his feet after he was thrown into the street and brought his hands up immediately, clapping them together before transmuting the protection plates on his automail arm into a long knife. Edward's heart, which had already been pounding in his ears in terror, was now roaring in his head with fury. The man stood in between him and his brothers, who were helplessly pinned behind him.

Ed's eyes flickered to his flesh brother and he started in alarm as he saw that blood was trickling out of his mouth. He was clearly pinned, unable to move, and even as Ed watched, the boy fell limp, Al still trying to keep them both from being crushed.

Dammit! Ed's eyes flickered between them and his opponent, on the edge of complete panic. He had to finish this now!

"I see," the murderer said in his deep voice, completely unaffected by the plight of the beings behind him. "You create transmutation circle with your arms."

Edward surged forward with a furious yell, his automail arm leading, intending to skewer the terrorist. He didn't care that it was another human being, he went for the kill. No one hurt his brothers, dammit!

Before he could complete his wild charge, his arm was held in a powerful grip. Ed struggled desperately, but the hand holding him was as strong as the steel his automail was made of. "I'll just have to get rid of this then."

A flash of light was suddenly all the blonde could see, and then all he could feel was agony as all of the nerves in his port fired off at once. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he slammed into the ground and then convulsed, the shattered remains of his automail scattering around him. For several seconds he was unable to move, unable to process the sudden onslaught of pain, even worse than getting his automail attached for the first time.

When he came to with a violent jerk, the man was still standing in the same spot. In between him and his brothers. With blurred eyes, Ed stared at them, trying desperately to push back his pain enough to move. They were hurt! In trouble! And he wasn't doing anything, frozen from weakness. A cry from Alphonse made the man before the injured boy twitch and begin to turn towards the trapped brothers, and Ed experienced an almost painful surge of adrenaline, forcing his unresponsive limbs to lift him off the ground before the scarred man could do any more damage. NO!

With drunken steps he ran at the terrorist and swung his automail leg wildly, intending to slam it into his despicable neck. But that was also caught easily. "This too," the man said and in another flash of blinding light Edward was again thrown to the ground. This time, the pain lasted a lot longer, and he could feel blood trickling from his leg where his port attached. Edward choked on his air and tears streamed down his face as he twitched in pain, another of his limbs scattered on the street. Rain still continued to sprinkle on his face, doing nothing for him as his body felt like it was on fire.

"Brother!" Al desperately cried from where he was trapped under the portion of the wall. Ed saw him try to come to his aid, but the stone shifted dangerously and Al fell a little closer to the ground.

"Don't move, Al!" Ed gasped, struggling to sit up despite his agony. Alex was limp beneath Alphonse and he wasn't moving. Ed's breath caught in his throat and he began to panic. He wasn't moving! The large man stepped towards him, and Ed snapped back to his own desperate situation. Edward tried to back up, but fell on his side, his missing arm no longer there to break his fall.

He glared at the despicable man stalking towards him, his vision blurring at the edges. Why! It was so unfair. Only that morning they had been wrestling on the floor, having fun. Al had laughed, and Alex had looked so happy! How could this have happened?

The man stalked forward, and every time his boot hit the unyielding ground, it sounded like thunder to the besieged boy.

Ed wanted to move, to run away, but he was as helpless as a kitten, his metal limbs destroyed and his mind blown white with pain. He looked up into the man's cold, dead eyes hidden behind his glasses, and saw death. Death for him, and death for his brothers.

"Just promise me one thing," Ed said in a rasping, terrified voice, grasping onto his last shred of hope. The man tilted his head and Ed continued, a little stronger. "You are only after me, right? Just promise me you won't go after my brothers…"

The older man glared coldly at the defeated state alchemist beneath him, as if he were a mere bug beneath his feet waiting to be crushed. "It is only you that will be receiving judgment today. I give my word."

The man brought his hand slowly towards the boy's head, and Edward felt himself go limp. This was it. With his sacrifice, maybe the menace would leave and Al and Alex could get help.

Even as a cripple, he could do this.

He heard his brother screaming at him to get up and run, but Ed couldn't, even if he had wanted to. It had all led up to this point. It was over…"I'm sorry, Al…Alex…" he whispered. "I won't be able to get our bodies back after all…"

The scarred man rested his hand gently on Edward's head in a sick imitation of comfort. "Praise God, for you are saved." Ed closed his eyes bitterly at the words. No, if there ever was a god, he had abandoned the boy long ago. Before the scarred man could strike his final blow, Edward thought of the gentle touch of his mother. Then he let go.

"That's enough!" A voice shouted angrily, and a gun was fired into the air with a resounding crack. Ed's eyes snapped open as the hand that had been against his head suddenly pulled back, the boy taking a breath he had not expected to take ever again.

Mustang stood at the end of the street, his men surrounding him with guns pointed at the terrorist. The colonel stood in front with a furious expression on his face, taking in the damage done to Edward Elric and his brothers. Some of the men behind him skirted around 'Scar', as he had been dubbed by the investigations department, and went to Alphonse's side, immediately beginning to help him clear the rubble from Alex, who appeared to be unconscious. Scar stepped away over the prone form of Edward, whose fake limbs scattered the ground around him, and a puddle of blood grew under the stump of his leg. Mustang growled in fury to see the boys in such condition. They were placed under _his_ protection! _No one_ hurt his men!

"Lieutenant colonel Mustang," Scar growled in the back of his throat. "The Flame Alchemist. It seems God has put you in my path as well." In a burst of motion, he began running at the colonel and grinned rabidly. "This is truly an auspicious day," he shouted.

Mustang began to bring his hand in front of him to snap, releasing all of his fury in a mighty wave of cleansing flame, but he cursed loudly when he realized that his ignition glove was wet. Damn useless…! He fired his handgun at the man, Hawkeye falling in beside him and doing the same, her expression fierce. The man dodged the bullets deftly and disappeared behind a wall.

Havoc swiftly ran to Edward's side, pulling the boy to a sitting position. "Ed, are you still with me?" he asked the shocked blonde. Edward nodded numbly, his eyes still blown open wide and breathing as if every breath was his last as he watched the stalemate between Mustang and Scar.

"It is fortunate that you cannot make your blasphemous flames, state alchemist." Scar growled as he stepped out from his cover. "For I will destroy everyone who would interfere with my mission, right here and now!"

"I'd like to see you try it!" A huge figure bounded up behind scar and slammed a massive fist into the ground, sending crushed stone flying from the spot the tanned man had been standing. Scar deftly dodged out of the way with his almost inhuman speed and faced the newcomer.

The large, bald man stood to his full height, an impressive seven feet. He was built like a tank, and had a short blonde mustache and a single lock of curled yellow hair. "You have to be quick to avoid my fist! Not bad!" He said in an exuberant voice, his blue eyes sparkling even in the dim afternoon light. "You said you were going to destroy us all. In that case, why don't you start by defeating me!? Alex Louise Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist!"

"Another state alchemist," Scar said, exposing his canines fiercely. "God is putting them in my path for me."

"Not backing down? For your courage you deserve a demonstration." He picked up a large stone from the ground and tossed it into the air. "Behold! The art of alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!" He slammed his fist into the stone and it exploded into a barrage of spikes.

"Who is he?" Ed asked Havoc. The blonde man was supporting the boy on the ground, his presence a comforting warmth at the exhausted boy's side as he watched the ludicrous battle going on in front of him.

"We call him Scar. He's the one who has been murdering state alchemists lately," He said lowly. "Hey, Armstrong! Try not to destroy the whole city, won't you!"

"What do you mean!?" The exuberant man suddenly took of his shirt and flexed his considerable muscles, nearly blinding everyone in the vicinity. "Creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin! You must destroy to create! That is the law of the universe!"

Havoc grimaced. "Great, I shouldn't have said anything. The lunatic's taken off his shirt again…"

"Most alchemists would not understand that basic truth, but we do, don't we Scar," Armstrong said to his opponent, suddenly serious.

"Of course," Ed said, the sudden realization hitting him. "He's an alchemist too! I didn't realize it because he stops at the deconstruction stage of alchemy, simply destroying everything in a violent release of energy instead of using that energy to recreate matter into something new."

"The who what now? I don't know anything about alchemy kid…But if Scar is an alchemist as well, doesn't that mean he's strayed from his way of god…?"

In a burst of strength and sudden motion, Armstrong launched himself at his opponent and furiously began raining blows with alchemy and his bare fists. It was a stunning display of strength to watch the two battle, Armstrong's fists moving faster than the eye could see and Scar dodging just as quickly, destroying everything Armstrong sent at him in brilliant flashes of light.

"But why is he only targeting alchemists with a state certification," Mustang mumbled to himself, stepping beside Edward and Havoc as he watched. He glanced at his young charge, taking in the considerable damage and grimacing angrily before sending a glare at Scar.

Scar backpedalled furiously as Armstrong suddenly upped the anti. He dodged left, then right, and then found himself against a wall with no way to escape. "I have you cornered Scar!" Armstrong brought his fist down powerfully and Scar extended his hand, about to destroy the alchemist before him no matter how much damage he took, when Armstrong suddenly pulled back.

Scar looked around in surprise, and barely dodged as a barrage of bullets suddenly slammed into the wall beside him. He dodged them all, save for one stray that grazed his temple, knocking off the glasses that hid his eyes from view. Scar glared around him and everyone gasped in recognition.

"Red eyes and brown skin! You are an Ishvalan!" Armstrong pulled back slightly in shock as he stared into the familiar red eyes that he had hoped to never see again.

"Perhaps there are too many…" Scar muttered to himself, ignoring the talk around him. Before anyone could make another move, he dropped to the ground and it shattered beneath him in a blast of dust and debris.

When the dust cleared, Mustang looked down into the sizable hole that had been created. "Damn, he escaped into the sewers…" He looked over his shoulders to his men. "Don't follow him."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Havoc muttered.

"Sorry, Armstrong," Mustang said, patting his fellow alchemist on the arm. "Thanks for buying us some time."

"I was hardly buying time," Armstrong said, his usual exuberance subdued. "It was all I could do not to be killed. That man is no novice."

"Is it over?" The two men turned as Hughes popped his head out from behind a truck, taking in the scene.

"Lieutenant colonel Hughes, where have you been this whole time!" Armstrong said, slightly irritated.

"What do you mean!? What was I supposed to do in a fight between inhuman freaks?! No thanks, us normal folk should stick back!"

Mustang sighed irritably. "Just get to work, Hughes."

"Right, what are you all standing around for, get a perimeter up and circulate Scar's image!"

"Yes sir!" Hughes' men moved out in a flurry of flying coat tails and pounding feet.

"Al! Alex!" Ed suddenly shouted, his voice strangled and tense, crawling towards where he could see his brothers still struggling in the destroyed alley. He ground his teeth in frustration as he could not see what was going on from his vantage point on the wet street.

"Whoa, kid, let me help you," Havoc said, lifting Ed to his one foot. He stumbled as Ed strained against him trying to get to his brothers. The men who had come with Mustang had managed to shift the debris off of Alex and moved him from the wreckage. Alphonse let down the huge slab of stone with a crash and ran to Alex's prone form just as Edward got there himself. Edward pushed off of Havoc and fell to the ground harshly on his side, and crawled the rest of the way towards his younger brother.

The men surrounding Alex backed off as the two boys reached him, giving the brothers space. After all, there was nothing they could do for the boy…Mustang walked forward, gesturing for the spares to follow Hughes. With a salute, they left, leaving only his personal cabinet behind. Mustang turned his gaze towards the three brothers and watched in silence, heart sinking and expression grim. What a tragedy...he had just started to see the intriguing young man as a friend, and then this happened...

"Alex…Alex!" Ed screamed, taking in the damage to his little brother. The boy's legs were crushed, blood oozing out of them from several places where the stone had pierced his clothes and flesh, but worst of all, the left part of his chest was caved in, a bloody furrowed indention in his side. Ed's shaking hand hovered over Alex uselessly, but there was nothing he could do. '

Alex's eyes, usually so bright and full of life, were wide open and reflecting the grey sky, blank and dull. Dead.

"No…" Al whispered, his armor shaking with his grief. "I couldn't protect him. The building was falling… and I wasn't strong enough…!"

Ed's breath hitched in denial and he slowly brought his face to Alex, resting it on his chest. He listened hard over the pounding of his own heart to hear the beating of his little brother's.

"Come on, Alex, where are your amazing healing powers? Come on…!" The seconds ticked by and Hawkeye walked forward and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Ed, he's gone…He's not breathing..."

"Come on…!" Ed growled desperately, shaking off her hand with a violent twist of his shoulder and hunching over Alex. The adults shook their heads and looked between each other forlornly. A long minute passed by in silence and Ed's face crumpled in grief as the boy's chest continued to remain still. Edward lifted his head slowly and placed his hand gently on Alex's cheek. The earring he had made him clinked slightly as he brushed Alex's hair aside, trying to see some spark of light in the boy's uncharacteristically dull eyes. But there was nothing...

Alphonse, who had been silently sitting back, leaned forward as well, his armor clanking. He gently picked up Alex's lifeless hand and brought it to his face, hoping beyond hope to feel something of their connection, some piece of his soul that remained…

Death was all he felt.

It couldn't be...Why wasn't Alphonse stronger? Why couldn't he protect him? It wasn't fair that he had to leave them…not like this. Never like this…

Mustang turned away, and he gestured for his officers to follow him. When Hawkeye would not budge, he patted her on the shoulder and pulled her away. "Sir," Hawkeye whispered, "We need to get an ambulance for Edward..."

"One is already on its way. Let them mourn in peace until then." The woman nodded, a deep frown on her face, and the two respectfully turned their backs, walking a decent distance away.

Ed leaned forward and kissed his brother on the brow, his cheeks wet from crying and eyes clenched shut in grief. Alex was still warm, and for just a moment, Ed wanted to imagine that he would simply wake up from a dream and Alex would be alright, laughing and annoying him like he had that morning.

But the wide open eyes and the blood on his face denied that fantasy when Ed opened his eyes. The boy choked out a sob and pulled away, feeling helpless.

As he leaned back, his pocket watch fell loose from his pocket and brushed Alex on the side. Irritably, he started to grab it and put it back in his pocket.

"Ed! I felt something!" Al suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone's eyes to be drawn to the suddenly animated suit of armor.

Ed dropped the pocket watch he had just grabbed in shock and this time it fell heavily on Alex's chest. As it struck him, a bout of red sparks arched between the watch and the boy, and for a brief second, Alex's dull green eyes flashed a vibrant red before fading back to emptiness.

"That was it! Ed, he's reacting to your watch!" Alphonse gripped Alex's hand desperately as he felt a spark of emotion from the still boy. He could still be saved!

Ed grabbed the watch and held it in front of his face dumbly.

"Mustang," Ed yelled suddenly. Mustang walked back to the two boys curiously.

"What is it Fullmetal?" He had seen the sparks the watch had emitted and he was frowning in confusion.

"You said when you gave me this pocket watch that it served as an alchemical booster for state alchemists. Why is that?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but what does that have to do with–Ed, what are you doing?!" the man shouted in alarm.

Edward ripped the silver watch on his belt and began slamming it on the ground furiously. "There's only one thing–" _slam_ "that Alex reacts to–" _slam_ "like that–" he slammed it again and the watch shattered against the concrete. Pieces of the watch flew in different directions, glimmering silver parts flying and flashing through the air as the shattered glass gleamed in the light, and a small capsule was revealed. "and it can save him!" Ed grabbed the small silver capsule and broke it open, revealing gleaming red stones.

Mustang stared at the stones in shock. What the hell...?

Edward frantically grabbed one of the stones and moved it towards Alex's lips desperately. "Brother, wait," Al said suddenly, stopping Edward in his tracks. "What if he goes crazy again? You know how terrified he is of that happening."

"At least he'll still be alive," Edward looked into his remaining brother's red eyes fiercely, and a moment passed between them. Al nodded.

"Do it."

Edward brought the little gem, red as Alex's blood that still stained his face, to the still boy's lips and placed it in his mouth.

Mustang's black eyes flickered between the three boys in confusion, not sure exactly what was going on. He didn't have a moment to think about it however when he was suddenly blinded by a flash of intense red light and thrown back by a furious gust of wind.

 _Dudes, you have no idea how hard it was for me to write this chapter. Not so much because I don't like it or had writer's block or something, it was just that I had a big decision to make that would affect how everything went down at the fifth lab later. And I just couldn't decide! Whether to give Alex another red stone or not...It was killing me! This will majorly speed up Alex's character development faster than it would have been in the original chapter where he wasn't all that badly hurt and just healed on his own. Which means the plot will be picking up pretty swiftly. And yeah, both of Ed's limbs were destroyed because in the original story Alphonse was that severely damaged and in my version he made it out ok. So balance. Plus I need an excuse for Alex to be in close contact...well, you'll see._

 _And red stones in the pocket watch? Mustang's like 'wtf, dudes.' First clue of government corruption. Just as a side note, this episode in the anime is one of my absolute favorites. Hands down. I love it how Scar is some kind of all powerful being and he almost kills Ed but is stopped at the very last minute! So exciting! And the brotherly moment was one of the best, too. Yep, great episode._

 _Next Chapter: Drama and return of everyone's favorite cat lizard! Don't worry, I will eventually name him...Review!_


	30. Chapter 30

Mustang slid back violently as a powerful gust of wind pushed him back with a bright wave of red lightning, the sparks charging the air and making his hair stand on end. The colonel squinted through the red and white haze, trying to make out what exactly was going on.

Alex was in the center of the blaze, a point of light in the suddenly dark in comparison surroundings. He seemed to be violently reacting to the red stone Edward had given to him, his body physically lifting off the ground as energy was released. It appeared as if all of the energy that was contained in the red stone was coming out of Alex in violent bursts, a power that Mustang knew well and had used before…In the Ishvalan rebellion…

So many questions veered through Mustang's head, like why the stones were in the pocket watch and why Alex was reacting to them so violently, but he had no time to consider any of them as each new wave of energy pushed him back further. He could see Edward and Alphonse on the other side of Alex, the latter supporting his older boy as the reaction caused them both to slide back along the street. Armstrong, who had remained behind, moved behind the boys and held them in place. For several more minutes the reaction continued, and Mustang wondered if it would destroy the whole street, when as violently as it began, it ended in a final pulse of energy, knocking them all back on their backs. The wind died down and the sparks faded, and Alex decumbent on the ground once again.

Everyone was stunned at the sudden stillness and Mustang lowered the arms that were covering his face. He took stock of his men. Hawkeye was slowly getting off the ground where she had been thrown, her eyes wide open and staring at Alex, Havoc helping her up. Breda and Furey were stepping out of an alley where they had taken refuge, the older officer with a protective hand holding back the younger who was looking around him curiously. Falman stepped out behind them as well, holding his gun at the ready, his usual serious face slack with shock. Good, it looked like no one else was injured…Mustang snapped his eyes back to the boys when they got over their shock and moved back to Alex's side, Alphonse still supporting Fullmetal.

Al and Ed crouched down beside their brother. Edward looked down at the prone form of the boy, still shaking from the power he had felt from that red stone. That stone was a lot more potent than anything they had come in contact with before. He should have been wondering about why it was in his watch in the first place, but all he had eyes for was his younger brother.

Alex was still not moving. His eyes had closed at some point in the reaction, but Edward felt his chest and was reassured to feel a steady heartbeat. Edward scanned the rest of his body and was at least relieved to see that the injuries had been completely healed, and Alex was breathing slowly. His clothes were still destroyed beyond repair, but the skin that Edward could see was unblemished.

"He's still not moving," Alphonse said, his voice trembling.

"Yeah, but…" Ed placed his hand on Alex's cheek, feeling the healthy flush he had been missing before. "Last time he came in contact with a red stone in Lior, he said he passed out. I think…" Ed let out a huff of released tension as he ran his hands over where Alex's horrible injuries had been. "I think he'll be alright…" Ed smiled slightly.

"He's going to be mad that we used a red stone on him…" Al said distractedly, touching Alex's hand and sighing in relief when he got a brief glimpse of Alex dreaming. He was only asleep… "We promised…"

Ed huffed a disbelieving laugh. "It saved his life, Al. I think he will make an exception."

"I talked with him on the roof last night, brother. I think he really resents how his contact with the red stone is changing him…" Now that he knew his brother was safe, other concerns started to cloud Alphonse's mind.

The two boys looked down at their slumbering brother in slight concern, but it did not overshadow the relief they felt that Alex was still alive.

"We'll just have to help him through it when the time comes." Ed mumbled.

Mustang stood back, watching, and Armstrong walked up to his side.

"There has to be a really good story behind those three boys." Armstrong said.

"You don't know the half of it…" Mustang mumbled. "Hell, I don't even know the half of it…" Although, he reflected, he did know a fair bit. His conversation with Alex had confirmed some of his guesses about the boy, though never in his wildest dreams did he expect something like this to happen. Alex looked completely healed, and judging by the expression on Ed's face, he would be just fine. A glimmer of red drew Mustang's eye, and he spotted a piece of the red stone lying innocuously on the sidewalk next to his foot. He picked it up and examined it, feeling its alchemical signature through his glove. No, it wasn't the weapon they had used in Ishval all those years ago, but it was similar. And much weaker…He pocketed it. He would have to have Hughes and his crew sweep the area thoroughly later, making sure no evidence was left behind. He had just stumbled on something big, and he wanted no interference…

"Armstrong," Mustang said, drawing the large man's attention. "That was some strange storm we suddenly experienced. The weather in this city can be quite unpredictable, wouldn't you say?"

Armstrong turned his gaze back towards the boys in consideration. Edward was wiping the tears off his face and Alphonse beginning to tend to the boy's bleeding leg, wrapping it in cloth. The remainder of Edward's blue jacket, half shredded and covered in blood, was draped over Alex's still form, and the boy who had been clearly dead moments before, seemed to now be sleeping peacefully. He looked to the sky, which had finally begun clearing for the first time in over a week, the sunset peaking through. "Yes sir."

o-0-o

Several hours later, Mustang was staring over his carded hands, his elbows resting on his desk. His officers were seated on the red couches or standing behind them, waiting for their debrief of what they had all just experience. Edward and Alphonse were there, as well as Armstrong and the rest of his most trusted men. Hawkeye stood faithfully at his side, her calm presence a comfort for the stressed colonel. Hughes leaned against the window on his other side, looking down onto the street below. He had spent the last couple hours scouring the scene with his men, and they had managed to collect the pieces of Edward's watch as well as most of the pieces of his automail and Alex's weapons. They sat in a box beside the colonel's desk.

Edward was looking the most worse for wear. His leg port had been slightly damaged, some of the shards of metal biting into his flesh, causing the bleeding he had been experiencing earlier. Despite that, he had insisted on coming to this meeting, even going so far as to crawl out of the hospital room. He was sitting in a wheel chair, looking like he hated every minute of it. Deep shadows were present under his golden eyes, demonstrating the stress of what he had gone through not hours before. He had been forced to change out of his bloodied uniform, and was now back to wearing his usual attire, with the exception of the leather pants, replaced with a pair of loose black slacks, the cloth slackening where his missing leg should have been. Alphonse also looked pretty rough; his armor badly dented and although his face was unreadable as always, one could clearly see the slump of his shoulders, betraying his own weariness. Alex was resting on the couch to their left, the boys refusing to let the other out of their sight, despite Mustang telling them that Alex would be with a doctor that he explicitly trusted. His clothes had also been destroyed, and he was now wearing a spare set. The rest was beyond repair and needed to be disposed of. For some reason, though, the boys insisted on keeping Alex's green coat with Orkan's Symbol on it.

Mustang inwardly sighed, trying to decide where to begin. He decided, for the sake of the two unfamiliar with the history, to start at the beginning. "The Ishvalans were a race of people to the east of us," he began. "They believed that their god Ishvala was the one absolute creator. Because of this belief, they saw alchemy as an abomination, a sin against nature. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still many conflicts between us and them, causing a great resentment of our presence. Then, thirteen years ago a soldier accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child. And that led to a full blown civil war…" Mustang closed his eyes, remembering the strife. "After that, one uprising led to another, soon spreading to over the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this, an order came down from the high command…to exterminate Ishval. Many state alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the state alchemists produced striking results." The words felt ashen on his tongue, and an old guilt rose within him, but he pushed it down. He moved on. "That man is an Ishvalan survivor. In a way, his revenge is justified."

"Bull," Edward suddenly said, breaking the silence that had held over the others in the room. He grit his teeth in anger. "There is no justification in getting revenge on people that had nothing to do with it. He's just using the mantle of his god to justify murder."

"Still," Mustang said, "he's coming at us with full force. We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause. Next time, there will be no talk. Take him out on sight."

"Yes sir," his men chorused with a simultaneous nod.

"I don't envy you," Hughes said, not looking away from the street below. "This is one nasty customer." He turned around and looked to the boys. "Well, Edward, Alphonse? What are you guys going to do now? What's the plan?"

"Well," Ed said, looking up at Al. "First we need to wait for Alex to wake up. Then I have to get my automail repaired. I'm no good to anyone like this…" He glance down at his body and then quickly looked away. "There's no way we are giving up."

"Resembool?" Al asked.

Ed nodded. "Yup. It's been a long time, but there is only one mechanic in Amestris I trust to work on my automail." He smiled, thinking of the pretty blonde. He hadn't seen her since she had come to visit, almost ten months ago…still, he would have liked to visit a little more dignified than he was now…

Mustang stood up. "Everyone, go home and get some sleep. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. You boys get better. You have three weeks, but see me before you leave. Dismissed." A series of salutes and 'yes sir's later, the room was empty, leaving the colonel to his thoughts.

The black haired man massaged his temples, trying to relieve his headache. His entire body ached and he could already feel the stress beginning to make his stomach hurt. He would make sure that Scar would be his assignment and stop him before he killed anyone else…And also, the red stones. Why were they in the watch. He pulled out his own silver watch and stared at it contemplatively, sorely tempted to break it open as well. But someone–someone with power– had put them there, and to let on that he had discovered this fact may put them in danger. No, he had to go about this subtly.

He sighed wearrily, thinking of all the work ahead of him. No time to rest though. He had work to do. He rustled through the box of Edward's automail and grabbed the pieces of his watch, along with the accompanying red stones. He looked at the gleaming gems considering before placing them on his desk with the other pieces. Best to keep them with the watch for now, so as not to arouse suspicion. He drew a careful transmutation circle on his desk with a piece of chalk and moved the pieces to rest on top of it. With a flash of light, the watch was back intact, the capsule and the red stones held safely within it. He picked it up, examining his handiwork. Under close scrutiny, the watch would not hold up, but it would serve for now. He sighed, tired. He would give the watch back in the morning with strict instructions not to tamper with it again. It could be dangerous if anyone found out that it had been opened…but that was tomorrow. For now, he needed some sleep. Mustang walked out of the room, flicking off the light and shutting the door, leaving the watch on his desk to gleam in the moonlight.

o-0-o

The first thing I noticed was that I was extremely comfortable. I stretched languidly on the soft surface of the blankets I was laying on, feeling content for the first time in what felt like forever. Aaahh…When was the last time I slept? It had to have been weeks…I tried to fall back into the blissful state I had missed so much, but my mind refused to shut down again since it appeared to boot up. Regretfully, I opened my eyes slowly, shaking off my sleepiness. I looked around groggily. I was in the guest room at the Hughes' house again. We must have stayed another night…

I sat up on the bed and after an initial wave of slight vertigo, looked around. To my surprise, it was actually late evening, the setting sun on the other side of the house, the orange light reflecting off the buildings across the street and into the dark room. That was strange…why was I asleep in the middle of the evening…? Then again, when did I fall asleep at all?

…I could't remember. I took stock of myself, feeling slightly disoriented. Whatever the case, the sleep seemed to have done me a world of good. The strange craving and fatigue I had been experiencing ever since Xenotime seemed to be gone, and my veins were buzzing with endorphins, as if I had just went on a run. I felt satisfied, as if something I had been missing had been fulfilled. I shook my head, not really having the mental capacity to examine that at the moment, and took stock of my body.

I was wearing a black t-shirt and some comfortable loose fitting slacks and no shoes. I shivered slightly in the cold air that was filtering through the opened window and looked around for my jacket. It wasn't there…I dumped out my bag, but I couldn't find it. My weapons were also missing. Suddenly alarmed, my hand shot up to my ear and I was relieved to find that the earring that Edward had given me was still there, the metal cool and reassuring on my fingers. Okay…so I was missing some stuff…what exactly happened?

I sat back on the bed slowly and crossed my arms over my chest. I closed my eyes, trying to recall the last thing I remembered, retracing my steps. Ed and I were going to Central Command…Al wanted to go to the library for some reason…The colonel..I wanted to spar…that large guy with the sparkly eyes…the chimera…

The chimera! My eyes snapped open and instantly my mind was flooded with images. My heart started pounding in my throat as I remembered our flight, Basque Grand, his blood going everywhere! And then being chased by that lunatic with the white hair, stones falling…!

My hands frantically ran over my body in panic. I had been dead! I had been crushed by stone! The pain I remembered nearly caused my body to seize. But I felt not a single blemish on my skin and no pain other than the phantoms going through my limbs. It had all happened so quickly that I hadn't had time to even think of a single regret. I had heard Alphonse calling out to me, but then I was…gone. After that there was nothing!

Was I really dead?! But that couldn't be right, I mean, I could feel my heartbeat, and the cold in the air and the floorboards under my feet. Dead people couldn't feel last time I checked. So I was alive. But why? How? Had we somehow gotten away? What had happened to that guy?

Questions buzzed in my head loudly, and I looked around the room in confusion. I needed to find someone to tell me what was going on. Where was everyone? Where were my brothers?

I walked swiftly to the door and threw it open, striding into the hallway. I could hear voices down the hall coming from the living room, so I began to walk in that direction. Movement caught the corner of my eye from a dark doorway to my left and I startled slightly, but then I realized it was just my reflection from the mirror in the hall bathroom.

I shook my head at myself. I was starting to lose it…I glanced one last time at the mirror, and then froze. I walked forward slowly, not taking my eyes off my reflection. Please let that just be my imagination…I couldn't see properly because of the dark, but my eyes looked strange. I flicked on the light switch…and screamed.

Staring back at me was my reflection, but it was all wrong. My eyes, usually a bright forest green, were the color of blood, and with the florescent combined with the freakish color made me look demonic. I looked…like a monster. No…! I slammed my hand into the mirror in fear, and to my surprise, it shattered violently in a shower of glass, my hand nearly breaking through the wall. I pulled it back immediately, and the force was such that I stumbled back and slammed into the wall behind me. I slid down slowly, cradling my damaged hand in shock. I was bleeding, shattered glass peircing through my skin. I looked back at the destroyed wall, panting in pain and fear.

"What the hell…?" I whispered, my voice trembling.

Suddenly, the small bathroom was filled with concerned and alarmed voices and I looked up. Alphonse burst through the door. He gasped in surprise and stared first at the shattered wall, then at me.

"Alex?" Alphonse said, moving towards me. I flinched back and he paused. He caught sight of my hand. "Alex, you're hurt!" He moved towards me again, but I unconsciously flinched away.

"Al! What the hell is going on!" Edward shouted from the hallway. He pushed inside and paused, eyes open wide with shock, taking in the scene.

I stared at my older brother, momentarily forgetting my pain in my surprise. He looked horrible. He was wearing an outfit similar to mine and I could immediately see that his automail arm was completely gone. He was standing heavily against the doorframe and as I scanned him over I was stunned to see that his automail leg was replaced with a white plastic prosthetic. There were deep bags under his eyes and he was covered in cuts and bruises as well. I glanced over at Al and he looked just as banged up. What the hell had happened!?

I was jolted out of my thoughts as my injured hand suddenly glowed a bright red and healed freakishly fast before my very eyes. I had been healing quickly ever since I had absorbed the red water in Xenotime, but it had still taken a couple of weeks at least to heal a wound like that. This–this was inhuman. This shouldn't be possible…! I began hyperventilating, my eyes wide. "Wha-wha-" I gasped.

"Alex, calm down…It's alright…" Alphonse said slowly, holding his hands in front of him non-threateningly. Edward was staring at me, but was making no moves towards me, just standing by the door with an inscrutable expression.

"Alphonse…" I gasped, "What the hell happened? I–I was dead! I remember dying! There was no way I could have survived being crushed like that…"

"You didn't," Ed finally spoke. I turned my panicked eyes towards him, my breaths stilling in stunned silence. He pushed off the wall and began limping to me, his prosthetic leg causing him to lean slightly to the left. It was too small for him…

"You did die. I watched the light leave from your eyes…" He collapsed to his knees before me, the fake limb folding under him awkwardly. When he regained his balance, he looked me in the eye, his usually bright golden eyes dimmed in pain and sadness. He lifted his one hand towards my face. "I'm glad you're awake…You've been sleeping for days…"

I shied away from his touch as well. "Then how am I alive? What happened to me…why am I–" I was going to say 'more freakish than before', but the words caught in my throat.

Edward moved his hand away guiltily and glanced at Alphonse. Al nodded, and Ed took a deep breath before looking straight into my eyes. "The man who was chasing us…he killed you. The only way to save you was to give you a red stone."

For several moments, the room was completely silent as I took in the news, my face frozen and my breath caught in my throat. I stared.

Edward shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. He looked at Alphonse, but our younger brother merely stared at me. Eventually, Al spoke. His voice was tinny and trying to be comforting, but his words could not comfort me. "Alex, it was the only way. You weren't breathing, and your body was half crushed–"

"Shut up." My voice rang harshly through the small bathroom. Edward and Alphonse both flinched back at my angry tone as it echoed off the walls. My face scrunched in anger and I looked down in disbelief.

"You promised…" I whispered. I felt betrayed. He promised…!

"I know, but–" Edward tried, but I cut him off harshly with a violent gesture of my hand, my red eyes boring into his gold ones. His breath caught in his throat.

"No!" I shouted. "You said you wouldn't let any red stone near me ever again! What gives you the right!?"

"Alex, be reasonable–" Alphonse tired to interject.

"You shut up!" I cut him off, my angry red gaze turning to the suit of armor. "You _knew_ how terrified I was of the red stones and you went ahead with it anyway! All that talk about trust? Bullshit!"

"Ah." Alphonse stepped back at my ire, and even from across the room I could feel his hurt. But I was too angry to care.

"Don't blame Alphonse," Ed said, anger seeping into his voice as well, although it was defensive. "It was my fault. I found the red stone–I did it to save you!"

"Oh, I know," I said, growling. "Everything is your fault. _You_ were the one who ripped me from my home and destroyed my life. _You_ were the one who couldn't protect me, and _you_ were the one who broke his promise. I would have been human and happy but I'm not! I'm some inhuman freak and it's all. Your. Fault!" I sat panting when I was done, glaring a hole in the floor. Silence met my words and I looked up, prepared to continue fighting, when I saw the expression on Edward's face.

Ed sat back, his mouth gaping open in silent surprise. His eyes though…they held so much pain and hurt at my words that my anger drained away like a sieve and I suddenly realized what I just said. "Ed…I…"

Ed suddenly looked down. He grimaced and his eyes narrowed. "So that's how you really feel," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He suddenly looked back at me, his golden eyes blazing, and if I could have I would have taken a step back at the fury I saw there. "I did it to save your life. I refuse to regret it. You can blame me all you want, but don't you _dare_ blame Alphonse!"

My anger rose within me again as quickly as it had fled, red hot in my chest and burning my eyes. "Maybe I would have preferred to die!" Anything would be better than becoming this–this inhuman thing!

"Alex…!" Alphonse gasped, and Ed bared his teeth.

"Stop it! Don't you ever–" He grabbed me roughly by the shoulder, and we both shuddered and cried out in surprise.

Edward's emotions slammed into me and I could feel it all–his anger, his fear, his regret and his pain–all of it swept through me like a blazing fire and I almost blacked out at its intensity. Edward was grimacing in surprise as well, and his grip on my shoulder became painfully tight, bruising my skin. It was exactly like the first time I had come into contact with Alphonse, the emotions overwhelming.

Alphonse was shouting at the both of us, his hands held out although he didn't know what to do with them. He was calling out as Edward and I were frozen, and Hughes burst into the room, immediately taking in the scene but unsure of what to do either.

The emotions whipped through me like an out of control forest fire. Edward had nowhere near Alphonse's control, and his wild emotions threatened to consume me. Suddenly it was all too much, and with a scream I shoved Edward away from me. When our contact ceased, it was like a bright light had been shut off and my mind was once again consumed with comforting darkness. I panted harshly and opened my eyes. I immediately wished I hadn't.

Edward was crumpled against the wall across from me, his head hanging low and a trail of blood streaming down the side of his face where he had struck the hard tiles. Alphonse and Hughes were crouched over him, shouting his name. "Ed!"

"Ed…?" I whispered.

Hughes looked over his shoulder and pointed at me. "Don't move an inch," he said harshly. He looked back to Edward and began to try to rouse him, and Ed groaned and opened his eyes, finding me and fixing me with a shocked gaze. "What…?"

Alphonse, seeing that his brother was ok, rounded on me. "Why did you do that!" He shouted.

I flinched back, curling my arms around my stomach defensively. "I–I–" Tears fell down my face and I trembled. No…I… I stood abruptly. Ed must have seen what I was planning, because he struggled to stand up as well, despite Hughes' protest.

"Alex, wait–"

But I was no longer listening. I shook my head violently and fled, leaving my brothers and Hughes behind. I blew down the stairs and past a startled Gracia, who dropped a cooking pot in surprise. I could hear Nina calling out my name as I blew past the living room, but I pressed on. I couldn't let her see me like this...! I slammed open the front door with inhuman force, nearly tearing it off its hinges, and ran into the darkening street, golden in the sunset.

My heart roared in my ears as my feet propelled me down the nearly abandoned streets with no way of knowing where I was going. I just had to get away. Away from myself, and away from people who I could hurt.

 _Dangerous._

 _Monster._

I grit my teeth and panted harshly, running even faster. I rounded a corner…and fell back on my ass as I ran into a solid wall of…man? I ran straight into someone.

"Hey watch it–" An angry male voice said. "Wait–Alex?"

I looked up in surprise to see the man I had knocked back on the ground was none other than Roy Mustang, for once changed out of his normal military blues and wearing casual clothes: a white button up shirt and black slacks. He looked disheveled and bewildered, sitting on the ground where I had knocked him. As I looked at him, his eyes widened in surprise and I was startled to see a spark of fear there as well. I averted my gaze, feeling shameful and hurt. I knew my eyes were disturbing, but to have even Roy Mustang flinch back from me in fear…A few more tears leaked from my eyes as I squeezed them shut tightly. I turned away and ran in the opposite direction. I didn't want to end up hurting him too!

"Hey, wait! Alex!" Mustang called out behind me, but I continued to run blindly. I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle my healing powers, my strange empathy powers, my inhuman strength…and I couldn't handle the fact that I had hurt Edward and Alphonse, both with my words and my hands. I was a sick monster who needed to be caged like the chimera in Tucker's lab. I couldn't handle it…so I ran.

 _What's up guys! Whew, some harsh words were exchanged yeah? Alex is pissed. He didn't mean it, Ed! And the government conspiracy begins. Yay! Sorry, I know I promised lizard cat but he's around here somewhere. He is part cat after all, and he'll do what he wants. I had to cut it off here because Roy is going to be involved next chapter and that will take a huge chunk that I didn't want to stop in the middle of. Besides, I thought you guys might appreciate this because it's been a while since I updated. Sorry about that. I had to code an entire website in like, a week. Not easy._

 _And oh shiznits! Alex's empathy powers grow? So it wasn't something special with Alphonse? Afraid not. It will get explained in detail later on. No worries, it was my plan all along, I'm not just pulling this out of my figurative hat. You'll see._

 _Next chapter: Roy tells a story, and Alex decides he needs to go on his own for a while. See you next time!_


	31. Chapter 31

Roy Mustang stood slowly and brushed off the back of his pants where he had struck the ground, staring after the young man who had bowled him over although he was half Mustang's size. He had not expected to be knocked down by a young man who had previously been dead and brought back to life on his way to a date. And those eyes…Edward had warned him that that might be the case when he awoke. He said it had happened last time Alex had come in contact with the red stone…but it had still been a shock. For a second he had looked Ishvalan, and Mustang had reacted as he always did when he saw an Ishvalan. With fear.

No, he wasn't really afraid of the race of people. Scar excepting, they were not a threat per-se, nor particularly violent. It was the fear of the memories that they brought. But Roy saw the hurt in Alex's eyes when he recognized the colonel's fear and Roy had realized his mistake.

"Shit." The boy was clearly distressed about something. Maybe it was how the stone had affected him? Mustang didn't know, but from what little he had gathered from Fullmetal and Alphonse, Alex resented the effects of the red stone, and something bad had happened when he came in contact with it before...And now Alex was running away, from both him and his brothers, it looked like. Looking at him like that was the exact wrong thing to do.

"Shit," Mustang said again. He looked regretfully towards the restaurant his latest conquest was waiting for him and then back at the retreating boy. He sighed. Definitely more important. Just as Mustang was about to lose sight of Alex, he took off running in pursuit, cursing his choice of casual shoes.

He ran faster. He could just imagine the look on Edward's face if he let Alex run off alone and somehow get hurt or lost. Plus he had that supposed stalker...Dammit! Those three boys were causing him more trouble than they were worth. Why did he recruit them again...?

Well, that and...the young man had somehow become someone Mustang–dare he say it–cared about. When had that happened exactly? Had it been when they met and Alex had lied? Or when Mustang sat beside him at the hospital, and Alex had decided to trust him even though he clearly didn't want to? Or when he had finally told Mustang the truth a few days before and the man had learned his story, supposedly the only one that knew...Or maybe it was when he saw him dead on the street and all Mustang could think was 'we could have been friends.' Whatever the case, Mustang wasn't about to let an underage boy gallivant the city at night by himself. Not without his weapons, which were still sitting beside Mustang's desk, or even a pair of shoes, dammit!

Ahead of him, Alex stumbled into another few pedestrians and rounded a corner and disappeared out of site. Mustang cursed and tried to speed up again, but he had been chasing the kid for ten minutes and he was getting tired. Was he getting old? He was only 29! But Alex wasn't slowing down at all and he couldn't deny he was falling behind.

Finally, he rounded the corner he had seen Alex disappear behind and looked around, panting. He was in the rail yard. Shipping crates and rusted unused train engines lined the old iron tracks along the gravel ground. Mustang looked around carefully, trying to spot where the wayward boy had gotten to in the lengthening shadows of the evening. He took a few crunching steps forward and froze, spotting Alex several yards ahead leaning against a shipping crate. He could see that the boy was trembling and paused, considering. Alex had not noticed him, and if Mustang startled him, he could take off running again.

Before Mustang came to a decision, Alex crouched down and scooped something up from the ground that the colonel couldn't see. Then he sank to his knees before heavily leaning back against the shipping crate, half facing Mustang but still not seeming to notice him. Clutched to his chest was the small chimera Mustang had seen the boy with before. Without prompting, the boy began speaking to the creature, and Roy made a snap decision. He stood still and listened.

o-0-o

I ran…and ran. I was running from my unwanted powers, and I was running from what just happened to me. And what I just did. But the images kept flashing through my mind unbidden and unwanted. I saw Edward's anguished face as I shouted and railed and blamed him for things I no longer blamed him for. I saw Alphonse's flinch when I threw our bond in his face. And then I…

 _Monster!_

I stumbled into some strangers as the word rang loudly through my head like the worst curse. They protested loudly but I was deaf to them as I stumbled drunkenly on, looking inward. I had done something I promised myself I would never do. I lost control, and I hurt Edward as a result. His face covered in blood and his shocked eyes staring at me…And Alphonse's and Hughes' accusing voices.

 _"Why did you do that!?"_

I burst out of the street and stumbled as the ground turned to gravel beneath my feet, and finally came to a stop beside a large rusted train crate, leaning against it heavily. Even though my body did not need it, I was breathing harshly in panic, and even though my body trembled badly, I did not feel tired at all after running for who knows how long. I stared down at the ground in fear as my emotions and terror threatened to overwhelm me.

"mew…"

My head snapped up at the soft noise and I looked around dazedly. Walking towards me was the small chimera that had been following me, and I watched with a feeling of unreality as it approached. It stopped in front of me and waved its paws in the air beseechingly like a child that wanted to be picked up. "Mew…"

Very carefully, I bent down and with the lightest of touches I could manage, terrified I would crush it, I lifted it from the ground and pulled it to my chest. Instantly, I could feel…something. It wasn't like the emotions of humans I had experienced so far, but more of a basic group of desires that I felt from the beast. I almost dropped it in surprise, but its base emotions of desire for food, and desire to mate, and desire to sleep and be petted soothed me, distracting me from my own raging emotions for just a moment. A few tears escaped my bloodshot eyes and I sank down to the ground, my breathing calming. I wondered vaguely if I was projecting my emotions to it as well, but it didn't seem affected. Maybe it just didn't understand or animals just weren't capable of such complex feelings. Whatever the case, I was just glad it wasn't running from me. I was glad it wasn't looking at me in fear and disgust. Like Edward…like Mustang….

"I've done something unforgivable," I mumbled to the small creature. It merely mewed softly at the sound of my voice and cuddled into my arms, stealing my warmth in the darkening evening. "I hurt him…I promised myself I would never hurt them with this freakish body…" Red eyes flashed in my mind and I flinched from the memory of my monstrous reflection. "But…" I leaned my head forward, pressing my face into the little chimera's smooth scales, " _he_ promised too. He promised me that I would never have to come in contact with the red stone again. He lied…" Cold wind blew through the rail yard where I sat and I shivered violently. I was dressed lightly, and had neither shoes nor a coat, and the temperature was dropping. But I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Now because of that, I will never be able to relax again, because I can't sleep…I will never be able to let my guard down because if I do I may kill someone…and I will never be able to touch anyone again because I will be forced to feel their emotions…I've become a monster…" I leaned my head back and stared at the now dim sky, starlight beginning to peak through the black. Crippling resentment and self-pity surged through me at what I had become. Edward's face flashed in my mind. "I hate him," I rasped. I love him. "He broke his promise…turned me into this…" He saved my life. "He stole me from my family to fulfill his own selfish desires…" He gave me a new family, and a new life. "I'm miserable because of him…" He and his brother, and everyone in this world had given me happiness…

My head started to pound painfully as my conflicting emotions besieged my mind. I could feel the tenuous strength I had been clinging to the past few years begin to crack and tear at the seams. "I want to go home…" I whispered, so quietly I could barely hear my own voice. I closed my eyes and tried to see the face of my mother, but there was only a haze of chestnut hair, and then Izumi's face flashed before my eyes. I shook my head violently and tried again. I tried to imagine the face of my father, but I could only see black hair on a receding hairline and a pair of outdated glasses before Orkan's smiling blue eyes overtook my vision. I began panting harshly and my eyes blew open wide, although I could see nothing. "No…!" I struggled to remember the faces of the friends and family I had loved, but I could barely see them through my memories of this place. In one last desperate effort, I tried to remember the face of my lover and the face of the child I had dreamed of. My lover had black hair and dark eyes…he had strong hands and a strong jaw…he was calling my name, but I couldn't hear him…! And the child…It was nothing more than a blur in my peripheral. My breathing came out harshly, and I vaguely registered that I was whimpering loudly with every breath. My lover in my mind's eye called out to me and reached towards me, but I couldn't reach him.

"-lex! Alex!" My eyes snapped down from the blackening sky as a loud male voice broke through my consciousness and the face of my lover was obliterated by the image of Roy Mustang. His dark eyes boring into mine and his deep voice was shouting my name in an identical way as the specter in my mind. I stopped breathing as the image of my lover faded into darkness, and reality settled around me once more.

"Roy…?" My voice trembled. Mustang was crouched in front of me, his hands hovering as if to grab my shoulders, but he did not touch me. His brow was furrowed in concern, and he was grimacing.

"Why are you here…" I whispered. I looked away from his eyes, remembering the fear he had shown for my own.

"I followed you."

"Why?" I said shortly.

Mustang paused and remained silent. I smiled bitterly. "Get away from me. I'm dangerous. Just leave me here…"

The colonel sighed and sat back heavily on the ground in front of me. "I can't do that." I didn't move or react to his presence, hoping that if I ignored him he would go away. He didn't. "Alex, you are not a monster." My eyes snapped to his furiously and I did not miss his slight flinch at my gaze. I laughed mirthlessly.

"Then why are you afraid of me?"

Mustang sighed and ran one of his gloved hands through his short black hair. "I'm not afraid of you, Alex. The color of your eyes just brings back memories."

I shifted my gaze to the ground again. "What do you mean…?"

"I…" Mustang glanced around and then looked at me, scanning my lightly dressed form. "Let's not talk about this here. Come with me." He stood and held out his hand for me to grab.

I shook my head. "You don't want to touch me."

"Because I'll feel your emotions," he said calmly. My eyes widened in surprise.

"How did you…"

"I was listening."

I glared at the man, but he did not retract his hand. "Then you should know that not only will you feel my emotions, but I will feel yours. And I have absolutely no desire to go through that." I looked down bitterly. "I never want to be touched again…"

"You are lying," he said, and I tensed in anger. "You may say that, but you are desperate for someone to reach out to you." I shook my head in denial, but even as I did, I stared longingly at his extended hand. He was reaching out to me even though he knew what I was…He sighed. "Alex, even if you can endure the cold, I don't think that little chimera is quite as resilient."

With a shock, I looked down at my chest and the little creature that was clinging to me. I was shivering violently, and it seemed like my body temperature was not enough to keep it warm. I had to get it inside…

Mustang moved his hand slightly closer to me and I looked up, considering. I couldn't got back to the Hughes', not after what I had done…Sadly, I didn't think I would ever be able to return. Mustang was offering me asylum for the moment, but after he learned that I had assaulted Edward, he might change his mind. It would be better to just run…the chimera shivered against me, and I clung to it tighter, still careful not to crush it. I sighed inwardly and then nodded. This little guy came first. Ignoring Mustang's hand, I stood up on my own. No matter how much I desired the touch of another, I did not want to experience what I had felt with Edward again. Mustang may have been calm, but my mental state was far from stable. Mustang pulled his hand back slowly, accepting my choice, and gestured for me to follow.

As he turned and walked away from me, his white shirt the only bright spot in the dark rail yard, I felt a pang of regret for not taking the hand he had offered. It felt like I had missed an opportunity somehow, like I would never be able to take that hand again. By rejecting his hand, did I somehow reject him? Did he see it that way? If I needed it, would he ever extend that hand again? Especially once he learned what I had done…I cursed myself for my fears and weakness as he walked away from me, my sorry ass trailing behind him slowly. I looked at his broad shoulders and a sudden crushing loneliness overtook me, and my hand reached out unbidden. I froze just before I came into contact with the back of his shirt and dropped my arm. I shook my head and suppressed the feeling. What was done was done. I followed him down the cold streets of Central, trailing three steps behind silently the whole way.

o-0-o

Mustang brought me to his house, a surprisingly small two-story affair set in between two other units. It reminded me of the Hughes' house, only a bit smaller. Huh, I would have thought a lieutenant colonel would make enough money to get something a little nicer. And he was an alchemist to boot…

Mustang opened the door and gestured me inside, and I walked in listlessly. Immediately I was engulfed in a comforting warmth that seeped into my limbs that I had not known were frozen, and I shivered gratefully as Mustang closed the door behind us. I looked around.

The doorway opened into a surprisingly spacious living room, and I had to take back my earlier thought that Mustang was not making much money, because inside was a luxurious pad of beautiful mahogany furniture and sparse yet ruggedly stylish decorations. To the far left was a intricately carved stone fireplace surrounded by plush leather couches over a embroidered throw rug. The rug had a crest that looked like a wave of fire surrounding a fierce station. I smiled weakly. Mustang was such a narcissist. To my right was a long bar that separated the living room from the kitchen, which had black stone counters and cherry-wood cabinets. The open floor setup looked surprisingly modern for a early 20th-century-esque houses I had seen so far. A staircase led up to a second floor.

Mustang stumbled blindly behind me, and I looked back at him. He was groping for the light switch, which was right in front of his face. For a moment, I was confused: did he need glasses or something? But then I realized that the room was pitch black, the dark curtains drawn and preventing light from entering the house, even though I could see perfectly. Mustang was just a human, so he couldn't…Depression swept through me once more and I deftly flicked the switch that Mustang couldn't seem to find with a heavy sigh, throwing the room into a soft golden glow. Mustang blinked in surprise at the sudden bright light, and straightened up.

"Thanks," he said, looking slightly embarrassed. "I just had the first floor remodeled, so sometimes I still…wait how did you see it? It was pitch black…"

I looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Your place is beautiful. Do you live alone?"

Mustang nodded, going along with my change of subject. "Yes. We won't be disturbed here." I shivered again and Mustang looked me up and down in concern. "You are freezing. Go take a hot shower."

I looked up in surprise and raised my hands, gesturing quickly. "No, that's ok, I'm fine."

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Take a hot shower, Elric. That's an order."

My mouth dropped open. "What! I'm not a soldier! You can't order me around."

Mustang smirked and leaned forward, getting uncomfortably close to my face. "If you won't be good and follow my orders, I could always join you and make sure you get warm…" he threatened.

I blushed to the roots of my hair and stepped back, shocked. But then he chuckled and I realized he was joking. I smiled tentatively at what I'd come to recognize as our usual banter, and found myself comforted. "You would like that wouldn't you." Mustang only smiled wider. I sighed. "Fine, but hold this little guy. I don't think he'd appreciate getting wet." I foisted the little chimera onto the colonel's chest and it clung to him immediately. Mustang looked down bewilderingly and held his hands up, not sure what to do with them but clearly fighting the urge to grab the creature and throw it across the room. The little chimera crawled up his chest and curled around his neck, nuzzling and Mustang shivered visibly. I snorted at his expression.

"Bathroom?" I asked.

"Up the stairs and to the left. Towels on the counter," Mustang grunted, still looking disconcerted at the little animal on his shoulder. I saluted and headed up the stairs, leaving the colonel to figure out what to do with my little friend.

I flicked the light on and closed the door behind me, finding myself in a nice bathroom with tile floors and a large bath. I looked up slowly and gazed at myself in the mirror. Red eyes stared back at me on a face that looked absolutely terrible, tear stains streaking down my cheeks and expression miserable. I looked away bitterly and began undressing, not wanting to face my reflection any longer. As the hot water ran down my back and through my hair, I tried to clear my mind for just a moment. I took a deep breath…and tried to imagine my mother's face. Long chestnut hair and smiling brown eyes came to me, and I sighed in relief. My memories were still there…for a while, I immersed myself in my past, and let the hot water warm my frozen limbs, even if it couldn't warm my frozen heart.

o-0-o

The second the boy walked up the stairs, Mustang's expression became serious. First thing's first, he had a phone call to make. He ignored the little animal on his shoulder (it seemed to have fallen asleep) and strode across his living room and picked up the phone. Something big had clearly happened to make Alex run like that, and he was going to find out what this 'unforgivable' something was.

He brought the receiver to his ear and listened as it rang twice. It clicked and Hughes' voice sounded at the other end.

"Hello?"

"Maes. What the hell is going on?"

"Well, hello to you too Roy. I'm assuming you found him?"

"Kid ran me over on the street. He's with me now."

Hughes sighed, sounding tense. "Be careful, alright? He might be dangerous."

Mustang's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure, since I came onto the scene a little late. Alex woke up after two days in a coma-like state and we heard a crash. The boys went to investigate and began fighting. I was downstairs making sure my family was safe, and by the time I got there, Alex and Edward were in a deadlock, and then Alex practically threw Ed through the wall and then ran off."

"Is Ed alright?" Mustang said, alarmed.

"A slight concussion, but he's fine."

Mustang frowned. "What does Ed say happened?"

"Nothing, neither he nor Alphonse will talk to me. They've shut themselves in the guest room."

"What do you think?"

Hughes heaved a sigh. "I think that kid is scared. He seems to have developed some kind of super strength or something. He punched a damn hole in my bathroom wall! Whatever Edward did to him the other day, he's not taking it well. He looked terrified."

For a few moments, Roy remained silent. So…the unforgivable thing was injuring Edward after misjudging his strength…That was why he was running, or at least part of it.

"Roy? Should I tell the boys that Alex is with you?"

Mustang snapped out of his thoughts. "…No. Knowing them, they'd probably try to sneak out and find Alex on their own. Scar is still on the loose, so make sure they stay there. Just tell them he's safe and do me a favor? Try to figure out exactly what happened."

"…Ok. I'll do my best. And Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

Mustang hung up the phone and sighed. What a mess. He was starting to get the picture now. He tried to line up what he had learned in his head.

One: something happened, probably in Xenotime, where Alex was exposed to the red stone and lost control. Something started changing in the boy and he was starting to resent it. Not being entirely human was clearly bothering him.

Two: Edward made some kind of promise to protect him from the red stone, and then broke it to save Alex's life. Alex was mad, if what Mustang heard from him at the railyard indicated anything.

Three: Alex was clearly terrified of his own power. Worse, he actually lost control and hurt Edward, which will only heighten his fear, making it more likely that he will lose control again.

Aaaand those three issues just barely scratched the surface of what was really going on.

Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose. What a damn mess. He sighed resignedly, knowing what he would have to do if he wanted to keep those three Elrics from doing something foolish. Since when did he become a damn psychiatrist for all these messed up kids anyway? He glanced at his phone, wondering if he should call Riza for backup, but shook his head. No, Alex was a loose cannon right now, and for some reason or other, he trusted Roy. Bringing in another party might make him clam up more.

Roy looked at the clock on his wall and groaned at the hour. He turned and trudged tiredly into his kitchen and began preparing coffee. Whatever the case, the colonel would have his work cut out for him. He needed caffeine if he was going to get through this with his own sanity in tact. Lord save him from ridiculously overpowered and over dramatic hormonal teenagers.

A half hour later, and Roy was beginning to wonder whether he would have any hot water left. Finally, Alex trudged out of the bathroom, releasing a wall of steam, wearing the clothes Mustang had left for him. Since they belonged to the older man, the white button up shirt and the slacks were loose on the boy's frame. His hair was pulled back over his left shoulder and it dripped on the white shirt, making it slightly transparent. He looked around listlessly before spotting the colonel on the couch in front of the fire, sipping coffee and staring into the flames. Mustang saw out of the corner of his eye that Alex hesitated before padding softly down the stairs and joining him. He sat on the couch adjacent from the colonel.

"Thank you for letting me use your shower," he said, tugging at his overly large clothes self consciously. He was avoiding Mustang's eyes, and the colonel inwardly sighed.

"Your welcome." Mustang got up and poured Alex a cup of coffee and placed it on the table in front of him before taking his seat again. Alex picked up the cup and took a large gulp, grimacing at the taste. Mustang contemplated for a second on how he should go about this. Did he just come out and ask what happened? Or maybe he should just lay everything he knew out on the table. That would probably force Alex to talk…But it might also make Alex upset and try to run off again…hm…

While Mustang was contemplating this, out of the corner of his eye, he could see Alex glance at him several times and opening his mouth as if about to say something, then quickly looking away.

"You can look me in the eye, you know," Mustang said, not taking his eyes off the fireplace in front of him.

"My eyes disturb you," Alex said softly, looking at his lap.

Mustang sipped his drink slowly. "…Yes, they do." He glanced at the young man beside him and could see him frowning deeply. "But not for the reason you think."

Alex finally looked up, his red irises gleaming in the firelight. Mustang looked straight into them unflinchingly, careful to hide his usual reaction. "Then why?"

Mustang gazed at Alex, considering whether he should say anything further. His past wasn't nearly as painful as it used to be, and he had talked through it several times with Maes, but it was still a sore subject that could bring back his nightmares if he delved too deep. But he could also see the value of opening up first. Alex probably felt exposed and raw, and Mustang needed to show him that that it was possible to get through this. In fact, Mustang could almost see Alex as a younger version of himself. Oh yes, Mustang knew what it was like to fear your own power…first though, he needed something a little stronger than coffee. He set the cup aside and walked to the shelf across the room that held his tumblers, and more importantly, his whiskey. With only a slight pause of hesitation, he poured a second glass for the boy and set it down in front of him. Alex took it gratefully and took a long sip, looking unfazed by the strong drink, and Mustang was reminded that he was actually a lot older than he looked. Roy settled back down and took a sip of his own drink.

"Several years ago…" he began, his baritone filling the room softly, "I was involved in a war. It was called the Ishvalan rebellion." He looked into the fire and could almost feel the hot desert air brushing his face as he opened a door that he usually kept under lock and key.

"Ed mentioned that before…" Alex mumbled. Mustang nodded.

He briefly described how the war began while Alex listened silently. "Several years of sensless bloodshed later, they sent in the State Alchemists. They ordered us to exterminate all of Ishval." Alex gasped. Mustang leaned forward and laced his fingers together, looking down at his hands. "I am responsible for the death of thousands," he whispered. Hundreds of terrified red eyes flashed before his fingers poised to snap in his mind but he forced them down. He finished his story with difficulty. "The fire alchemy that I had so cultivated through years of hard work and passion, the alchemy that I had dedicated my very soul to learning and obtained through great personal loss, was suddenly a horrific curse, a weapon of mass murder."

Mustang grit his teeth and forced himself to take a deep breath. He looked straight into Alex's red eyes. "That's why your eyes disturb me. Ishvalan eyes are red." The boy was staring at him and Mustang forced himself to look back. An old fear surfaced then, the fear of judgement from another that he had long thought he had gotten over. He shook it off. This wasn't about him, it was about Alex. It was time to make his point. "I thought I was an inhuman monster for the longest time. I thought that because I had power, I was cursed to do only evil with it…It tore me apart. I wanted to run away…and I almost pulled the trigger."

"How did you hold onto your humanity through all of that," Alex whispered.

Mustang sat back and stared at the ceiling. "I looked up after the war was over, and my victims lay charred at my feet, and I saw the Furer standing over the soldiers, looking down. I thought to myself: If I had been standing where he was standing, would any of this have happened?" Old anger and resentment rose within the older man. "I resolved that one day I _would_ be the one standing there. I found my purpose that day. I would become the Furer and make damn sure that something like that would never happen again." The room fell silent, save for the crackling fire and the slight clink of the ice as it melted in Roy's glass, each occupant within their own thoughts.

"You found your purpose...and it saved you..." Alex said slowly, looking into the fire.

"What you've done isn't unforgivable, not even close. Edward and Alphonse will forgive you. But will you forgive them? Or more importantly, will you forgive yourself?"

Alex's eyes widened in surprise, but then he shook his head with a rueful smile. "How is it that you always know everything?"

Mustang threw his arms over the back of the couch, crossing his legs and leaning back. He let his eyes fall to half mast and said with all seriousness, "Because I'm God."

"Pft." Alex snorted and let out a soft laugh, finally giving Mustang a genuine smile and Roy preened on the inside. "You are so full of it, oh future Furer King. You _would_ decide to take over the whole damn world to fix your problems."

"Well, not the _whole_ world," Roy said, putting his hand to his chin and taking on a thoughtful expression. "Just Amestris...although..."

This pulled another laugh from Alex, and then the two fell into a comfortable silence, the boy giggling every once in awhile. The little chimera, which had been resting on Mustang's shoulder the whole time, woke up and yawned, looking around blearily. It spotted its chosen master accross the room and jumped from the colonel's shoulder. It sauntered over to Alex's lap and curled into him, purring loudly. Alex smiled at the little creature softly.

"You're here to stay, aren't you, little guy? I guess I should give you a name..." Alex glanced around the room, looking for inspiration. He was pretty sure it was male, so it had to be something cool..."Well, you've managed to track me all this time...so how about 'hunter'?" He looked over to Mustang. "Hey, what's another word for 'hunter'? That just doesn't sound cool enough."

"Well, in old Amestrian, before the reform, it was pronounced Jäger."

"Ye-ag-er?" Alex tried the name on his tongue. He said it a couple more times before smiling. "Yeah, Jäger, it's perfect." He pet his new friend on the head, and Jäger purred louder.

"So," Mustang said after a moment, "what now?"

Alex paused in his ministrations, a deep frown on his face. "...I don't know. After what you've told me, my problems seem insignificant in comparison." He smiled ruefully and glanced up at Mustang. "I'm being overdramatic, aren't I?"

Roy shrugged one shoulder and looked at the ceiling, as if to say 'well...'. Alex snorted. "Alright, alright. I may have...overreacted. Ed did save my life after all...but if this episode has shown me anything, it's that I need to learn to control my new powers."

"...I might be able to help you with that." Mustang said, lifting his gloved hand with the transmutation circle on it. Alex looked at it curiously. "Fire alchemy takes an incredible amount of physical as well as mental control. If I make one little slip, one little lapse in judgment in the amount of power I put into a single transmutation, I could end up consuming an entire block, or even myself. As a result, I have to train religiously or risk an explosion. I could teach you my methods. It doesn't really matter how physically strong you are in control training." He grinned, "You can even call me 'master'."

"Ha ha," Alex deadpanned, but he frowned thoughtfully, considering. "I might just take you up on that, Mustang. But...there's something else I have to do first." Mustang tilted his head. "You've given us three weeks, right?" He nodded. "I think it's time I visited some old friends of mine. I need..." Alex didn't finish, but Mustang could imagine what he meant.

"What about Ed and Al? Will you be going alone?"

Alex nodded, although his expression relayed that it gave him great pain to do so. "Yes. I don't know if I can handle seeing them right now...I still feel betrayed...and guilty..and afraid."

Roy opened his mouth to speak, but Alex lifted his hand and stopped him. "I know. But saying I should forgive them, and myself, and actually doing it are two different things. I just need a little time."

The colonel nodded. "What should I tell them?"

"Tell them that I've gone to see my master, and I'll meet them in Resmebool in two weeks time. And tell them...I'm sorry."

"You should tell them yourself." Alex just shook his head. Mustang sighed. "Well, you can't go in those clothes. In the morning I'll buy you some new ones, and some travel gear since it's clear you refuse to go back to the Hughes'."

"Wha–no, this is enough, really–" Alex said embarrassed.

"Oh? As far as I know, Edward carries all of the money for the three of you. Are you really saying that you're going in _my_ clothes?" Roy lifted an eyebrow.

The boy blushed, much to Mustang's amusement. "Um...no, but–"

"And how were you going to get there, by running? Train tickets cost money too, you know."

"Yeah, but–"

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Just accept my help, you little twerp."

"Don't call me twerp!" Alex shouted, and then smiled. "Yeah, alright, you great bastard. Thanks. For everything."

Mustang sat back smugly. "Don't make a habit out of it, kid. I don't want people to think I'm going soft. I'm going to be Furer someday, you know."

Alex just smiled softly, his blond hair, dry after all of the talking, gleaming golden in the flickering firelight, the dim light setting his face in soft shadows. In that moment, his red eyes no longer looked quite so menacing to Mustang. Roy cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away, staring back into the fire. He threw the rest of his drink back in one gulp and leaned back tiredly. God help him...

 _Hi! Been a while! So Alex almost lost it yeah? But Roy brought him back...this time..._

 _That's right, Alex is going on his own for a while. He needs space cuz he's becoming a moody teenager. And, you know, he's terrified of accidentally going insane and killing someone. Way to put it into perspective, Mustang! One of the greatest ways to make someone feel better is to show them that someone else is way worse off. This was actually ridiculously hard to write. Alex has so many problems, but I didn't want this to become some kind of super long therapy session. It actually ended up being Mustang who talked about his past._ _Hm, he and Mustang are getting rather close. I didn't really mean for that to happen, but that seems to be the way it's going. Should be fun to see how that develops in the future..._

 _And finally, introducing Jäger! Hope you like the name, cuz he's going to be sticking around for a while. Can't have Alex just talking to himself like a crazy person the next few chapters, after all. He'll keep the crazy kid from introspecting too much._

 _Next Chapter: Alex begins a journey, and we hear the other side of the story._

 _Thanks so much for all the great feedback! Especially welcome to my new readers. Hope I can entertain you for a while yet!_


	32. Chapter 32

When Edward opened his eyes, it was to the bright and very familiar scene of his family home. He sat up in the grass he had been lounging in and looked around. It was a bright morning in the summer, the temperature balmy and warm. Bees buzzed in the clear blue sky, mingling with the chirping cicadas and the rustling wind. The tree he had been sitting on cast speckled shadows on his face, the cool touch of the shade comforting in the summer heat. Resembool, the small town that he called home, sprawled out in the open countryside around him.

Edward felt the blades of grass between both of his hands and felt an inexplicable surge of joy at the feeling. He smiled brightly.

"Brother, are you still sleeping? Come play with us!" Someone called out to Edward and he turned his head to the side lazily. Standing over him, covered in grass and dirt, was his little brother Alphonse, smiling with his light brown eyes sparkling in his seven year old innocence, just as he should be. For a second, Edward was confused, thinking he was seeing double, because standing behind Al was a second boy, identical to his brother. Unlike Al though, he had long hair and green eyes.

"Yeah, Ed, come on! You've been sleeping all day," the second boy claimed. He tilted his head and a flash of light drew Edward's eyes to a familiar earring with a sparkling blue stone. Ed's expression cleared. It was just Alex.

"Boys, it's time for lunch!" A gentle voice beckoned them from across the yard, and the twins smiled brightly in that direction. Ed also turned with a huge grin, excitement surging through him, and for some reason he didn't understand, sadness. Sitting a few yards away on a red checkered blanket was Trisha Elric, their mother. Her long brown hair was bound in a light bun, several strands escaping and fluttering in the wind. She looked at them with her warm chocolate eyes and beckoned them with a delicate hand. "Come on, I made sandwiches!"

Alphonse and Alex answered her exuberantly and ran over to the blanket and sat down. Ed grinned and jumped up as well, heading over. For some reason, it felt like it had been so long since he had one of his mother's lunches, and his stomach grumbled hungrily. Edward sat beside his slightly smaller younger brothers and Trisha smiled at him warmly and patted his head. An overwhelming sense of melancholy overtook the eight year old in that moment, and tears came to his eyes.

"Why, Ed, what's wrong?"

Edward touched his wet face in confusion. "Um…I don't know. Sorry, I guess my eyes are just watery."

"Quit being such a crybaby, Ed," Alex taunted with a smile.

"Why don't you say that to my face," Ed said back.

"I just did! What are you going to do about it!?"

"Agh!" Edward pounced on his younger brother and the two rolled around on the blanket, wrestling. Alphonse laughed as the two pulled him in as well, the three struggling to stay on top while Trisha watched with a calm smile.

"Boys, look out," Trisha suddenly exclaimed, but before her warning reached them, they ran into the basket that was holding all of their food. The contents of the basket spilled out into the grass and the weaved basket was crushed, the fibers splitting it in half.

"Oh, now look what you've done," Trisha scolded, trying vainly to pinch the split together.

"Sorry, mom," the three said contritely.

"Don't worry, I can fix it," Edward said, suddenly perking up. With a practiced ease, he clapped his hands together and in a flash of blue light, the basket was as good as new.

Shocked silence met his actions and Ed looked up from the newly formed basket in confusion. "What is it," he asked, meeting all three gazes.

"You can do alchemy?" Trisha said, eyes wide.

Edward looked down at his two flesh hands. For a second his vision blurred and one of his hands flashed a dull grey before turning back to normal. He flexed it. "Well, yeah," he said uncertainly.

"Well, if you can do alchemy so well," Trisha's voice said, suddenly sounding watery and weak, and Ed was distracted as a spot of crimson splashed onto the blanket beside her. He looked up slowly and his eyes opened wide in sudden fear. "Why couldn't you save me?" A trail of blood was seeping out of her mouth from both corners and her expression was suddenly aggrieved and accusing.

"M-mom?" The bright summer day grew dim and foreboding, and a freezing wind sucked the warmth out of the suddenly shivering boy.

Both Alphonse and Alex huddled together in fear, watching as Trisha Elric stood up to her full height. They scooted over to Edward and the three looked up in horror.

"Why didn't you save me Ed? Why?"

Edward suddenly jumped forward with a cry as Trisha began to fall backwards, as if in slow motion. He jerked to a stop though as he was grabbed harshly by his collar. He looked behind him and saw Alex, but it wasn't the Alex that had just been there. It was an older version that towered over Edward's eight-year-old form and stared down at him with glowing crimson eyes.

"You broke your promise, Ed." His voice was harsh and guttural, sounding completely alien and making his appearance all the more frightening. "You couldn't protect me, and then you betrayed me. You turned me into this. How could you? I would have been human and happy, but I'm not and it's _all. Your. Fault_."

Ed struggled to break Alex's iron grip and ripped his shirt free. "N-no! I did it to save you! There was no choice–" Edward's voice cut off as Alex's angry expression turned to one of grief. A blood-red tear trailed down his cheek.

"You betrayed me…" he whispered, his voice suddenly going back to normal, although the sound was laced with terrible sadness. "You brought me to this world…You turned me into a monster…"

"No…" Ed took a shuddering step back, his eyes wide, only to run into something solid and cold. He whipped around and stumbled back as a huge suit of armor suddenly loomed over him menacingly.

"Why didn't you listen to my warning, Brother?" The sweet voice of his younger brother rang harshly and angrily through the metal. Alien and harsh pitches reverberated through his words and clawed at Edward's ears. "None of this would have happened if you had just _listened_ to me." He reached out and enormous spiked hand and Edward fell back with a cry.

The terrified boy gripped his head with both hands and shut his eyes tightly, trying to drown out his surroundings. "Wake up, wake up, wake up," he chanted desperately. The field suddenly became dark and menacing and Ed opened his eyes as a cold and cruel wind suddenly whipped around him. He was now in his ten year old form and standing before him were the three people he had failed so completely. They stood shoulder to shoulder, Trisha with blood dripping down her chin, Alex crying crimson tears from his menacing red eyes, and Alphonse looming over them in a cruel, gleaming suit of armor.

"Why," they whispered as one.

Edward screamed and turned to run, but as his foot struck the ground, the earth turned obsidian and a giant eye opened beneath him. An endless black pupil narrowed and then looked directly at him as he watched it in horror. Before he could run, small greedy black hands on writhing spindly arms grabbed his right arm and his left leg and pulled him violently to the ground. The boy struggled and railed as the arms pulled harder and harder. "No!"

Abruptly, the world dropped around him so that there was only white abyss in every direction, the great eye beneath him, and the hands pulling painfully at his body. Edward's heart hammered in his ears and he looked around in terror. A bright light blinded him, and then he watched in abject horror as an enormous gate rose menacingly out of the abyss in front of him.

"No…please…" Ed whispered. It cracked open with a resounding boom and slowly began to open. "Please…!"

It didn't open very far, when all of the sudden the arms that had been tugging at the small boy suddenly gave a tearing pull and ripped him apart, the boy's agonized screams drowning out all else. Before he lost awareness, he was sure he heard a cruel, high-pitched laugh.

Edward Elric, fourteen years old, half metal and half man, opened his golden eyes with a startled jerk. For several seconds, his body trembled in alarm as his lungs refused to draw in air. Sweat soaked his body and caused his shirt to stick to his chest and his golden hair to cling to his face.

"Brother?" A concerned voice sounded from the other side of the room, and like a spell lifting, Edward drew in a breath and his body collapsed back onto the bed on which he lay with a shuddering gasp. "Brother, are you alright?" Alphonse asked in concern, standing from his position sitting by the window and walking over to where Edward trembled on the bed. Ed looked up at his younger brother, but the light from the late morning sun caused his head to throb sharply, emanating from where his head had struck the tile, and he closed his eyes. He tried to bring his automail arm to his face to cover his fevered eyes, but with a sharp sting from his empty shoulder port, he remembered that it was no longer there. He was broken.

"Al," he said softly. Just to say his name. "Alphonse…"

"I'm here," Al said softly. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Ed nodded, long past the point of trying to hide it. He had been having them for too long.

"Talk to me."

"It was the same one." Always the same one, although sometimes his teacher was there as well to condemn him further. "And an old memory…" he mumbled. Yes, a memory of that night…the night they tried to bring back their mother. And failed. What happened when Al was gone, and Edward was left to face the Gate of Truth, the giant stone gate that is the source of all alchemy, alone…Ed shook his head to get rid of the image of his worst memory and forced himself to sit up. His head gave another dull throb and he grimaced, the events leading up to the injury flashing in his mind unpleasantly.

"He really was mad this time, wasn't he…"

"Having him mad at us is better than him being dead," Al said shortly.

Edward didn't respond, but his chest throbbed at the memory of Alex's terrified eyes.

"Do you really think he meant it? Does he really still blame me for all that happened?" Alphonse considered his older brother carefully. Edward still looked worn down, both from the attack by Scar, losing his automail, and finally Alex's reaction of their betrayal. Al recalled the many talks he had had with Alex about how afraid he was of changing, of becoming something he couldn't control. Worse, he had been in contact with Alex some of those times, so he knew exactly how the boy had felt. It wasn't just words. But…seeing him dead on the ground was worse than looking into his accusing eyes. At least they still had life in them when he was angry.

"He's mad…" Al said slowly, "but I don't think he meant it. He loves us. I've felt it."

Edward smiled derisively and rested his head on his flesh knee. "Felt it, huh? That's not what I felt…"

Alphonse started in surprise. "You connected with him?"

"Yeah…It was like this giant abyss opened up around my mind, and then it was flooded with another soul…I felt like I was going to be pushed out by all of his anger, and his fear…"

Alphonse looked down and clenched his hands. They creaked softly. When Edward had finally touched Alex the day before, the two of them had seized as if possessed. Their expressions had been terrible, as if they were in pain. Alphonse remembered the first time he had linked with Alex. It had been one of the most terrifying and intense experiences in his life, including the time he had been deconstructed by the failed transmutation. The emotions of two people, including the exchange of sensory information, was a huge overload on one soul, as Alex and Alphonse had found out the hard way. Tensions and emotions had also been high at the time, so the experience would have been that much more intense.

"So that's why he attacked you…" Alphonse said softly. He had been so angry at Alex for hurting his older brother, that he had completely ignored the reason Alex might have done it. Alphonse cringed internally. On top of everything, Alex not only discovered that he had been given a red stone against his will, but it had also changed him irrevocably again. Not only that, but in doing so it threw into question just what his empathy powers were. If not a connection to Alphonse, who they thought was the original soul of Alex's body, or something that was a connection just between the two of them, then what exactly was it? Could it be that it was something unique to Alex himself, and the red stone enhanced that power so that he could connect with anyone? Alphonse shuddered to think what it could be like to not be able to touch anyone without a severe intrusion unto both parties. "I shouldn't have yelled at him like that…"

"Yeah, well, he said some pretty harsh things too…"

"Yeah," Alphonse said softly, "it was aweful."

"Do you think…do you think he'll ever forgive us? Forgive me?" Ed asked quietly, and Alphonse knew he didn't just mean the red stone or breaking his promise. He meant everything, from the very moment Edward conceived of his plan to bring their mother back, ignoring his brother's uncertainties, destroying Al's body and ripping an innocent woman from her own world and family, to this very moment.

Alphonse sighed internally, looking at his older brother with compassion. "You weren't the only one who pressed his hands to that circle, brother." Alphonse looked down at his artificial hands. "I have shared his emotions from the beginning, feeling them change and grow. I don't know exactly when it happened, but he forgave us. And I never blamed you."

Al watched as his older brother's eyes filled with water before he shifted his arm to hide his face. "I don't think the question is whether he will ever forgive us, brother," Al continued, "but whether we will ever forgive ourselves."

It was silent for several minutes as the two boys regained control of their emotions. A clock on the wall ticked its way past noon as neither of them moved. Ed eventually broke the silence. "Where is he now?"

"Hughes just said that he was safe, but he wouldn't tell me where."

"You should have gone after him."

Alphonse shook his head. "You needed me more…besides that, I was angry at his words and hurting you. Even if I did go after him, it wouldn't have solved anything. We just would have fought more."

"That madman is still on the lose though…not to mention that woman…"

"He's with Mustang. The colonel won't let anything happen to him."

Edward nodded. He felt slightly grateful that Alex wasn't there at the moment. He wasn't sure he could face him just yet. Alex's words had hurt him badly, though he would never admit it. The blonde let out a long sigh. Maybe Al was right, and they just needed a little time apart. Still, Ed wouldn't be completely at ease until Alex was back by their side and the air was cleared. Unfortunately for him, it would be a long while before he even saw his brother again.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Hughes walked in unannounced.

"Hello Mr. Hughes," Alphonse said politely, although he didn't even look in the man's direction. Edward didn't react at all.

Hughes sighed. "Hi boys, how are you feeling?"

Edward shrugged, but the boys remained silent. A cloud of gloom hung over the room, darkening the sunshine, and Hughes rolled his eyes discreetly. If this is what teenagers were like after a spat, he hoped Elicia and Nina _never_ grew up. Although he supposed that watching your brother die by some psychopath's hand, then doing something you promised you would never do by bringing him back with a crazy alchemical catalyst which turned him into an inhuman freak, was a bit more complicated than your usual fight between siblings. "I have a message for you from Alex," Hughes continued as if he hadn't just been ignored. Edward lifted his head and Hughes cringed at his pathetic expression.

"Geeze, Ed, lighten up. Roy was able to talk some sense into the kid. Alex told him to tell you he's sorry."

Edward's eyes widened a bit. "Why didn't he just tell us himself?"

"Because he left town this morning."

Shocked silence fell over the room. It didn't last for long. "What do you mean, he left town? Where the hell to?" Ed shouted suddenly.

Hughes rubbed his ears with a grimace, trying to get rid of the sudden ringing they were plagued with. "Ouch, did you have to shout?"

"Hughes!" both boys exclaimed as one.

"Alright, alright!" Hughes lifted his hands placatingly. "All Roy would tell me is that Alex is heading south and that he'd meet you at Resembool in two weeks time. He said you'd know what that meant."

"South," Alphonse said. "He's going to Dublith."

"To see Orkan," Ed added. "But why?" He brought his hand to his chin in thought.

"So this Orkan fellow, he wouldn't happen to be _the_ Master Orkan would he?" Hughes asked, butting in.

"Well, he's Alex's teacher," Al said, "just like Izumi Kurtis is our teacher. What do you mean _the_ Master Orkan? Is he famous?"

"In a sense," Hughes said, "but that's a story for another time. Alex was trained by him, so if he's feeling insecure about his power, clearly he would go to the man who trained him for guidance first."

Ed felt a slight pang of hurt at that, but it made sense. After all, it wasn't like he could do much to help Alex gain control over something Edward didn't even understand. Edward and Alphonse looked at each other in thought. Neither one was really comfortable with Alex being apart from them but…

"I think he needs this, brother. He left on his own, and he probably feels guilty for hurting you." Al said. "We should meet him in Resembool. By then you should be repaired and maybe this time apart will do us all a little good."

Ed nodded. "You're right, as always," he smiled teasingly, and Al was happy to see a bit of spark in his dull eyes for the first time since the near-death experience with Scar. Then he frowned. "But what about Scar and that woman? Is it safe for him to be alone?"

"Oh, he's not alone," Hughes said. "What do you take me for? I sent a bodyguard with him, of course."

"Who," Al asked.

Hughes' glasses flashed. "One of my men. First lieutenant Barret."

Al and Ed glanced at each other. "Who?"

o-0-o

The train rattled beneath me as I watched the countryside fly by in the early noon. Jäger slept in the bag next to my hand, the chill air of the early winter making him sleepy. I gently patted the sac and he purred softly. Across from me, my unexpected but not unwelcome bodyguard sat stoically and stared out the window as well. Barret didn't talk much, but I kinda liked that about the older man. My spirit was unsettled, and I didn't think I could handle the questions I was sure he had for me, so I was grateful he hadn't addressed me much since we departed the station. The scenery blurred by as I watched behind the shaded glasses that were hiding my muddied red gaze. The red had started to fade slightly as the hours passed, but they were still dark enough to alarm people, so I hid them.

Even though the train took me farther and farther from my brothers, the two people in this world I trusted and felt at home with above all others despite everything, I felt that until I gained some semblance of control I would be better off away from them. So I merely watched as the country passed by, Barret and Jäger silent companions at my side _._

 _Hi guys! I updated sooner this time! Well, all sorts of drama, ne? No worries, Alex and the boys will get back to their normal selves in no time. That dream of Ed's was pretty fun to write. It's interesting to write surreal stuff sometimes. It's kind of a spin off from that dream he had after Nina died, I forget which series._

 _So yeah, the boys are heading their separate ways for a while. I won't be writing any more episodes just yet, since some stuff needs to get resolved before they head to the fifth lab soon. So everything in the next few chapters will be from my imagination, and we might run into some people we know. I might include a bit of a break from the drama too, so you can all take off your emo glasses for a minute._

 _In other news, Thanksgiving is coming up soon, which means a week off in which I can write! Yeah! Next chapter: Alex runs into some old friends and a certain woman observes him from afar._

 _Pft, I just had a funny thought. Is this how Pikachu would behave if Ash used a thunder stone on him? He'd be like "Rai!" –zap– *runs away in tears* and Ash would be like "Wait, Raichu, I did it so we could win the tournament! Come baaaaack!"_


	33. Chapter 33

Hours passed as the train ate the miles before us, bringing me farther away from Central. Instead of making me feel more depressed, I was actually beginning to feel lighter at every mile that slipped away. I was leaving the two I most trusted in this world, but as I got farther away, my problems began to seem smaller and smaller.

I hated to admit it to myself, but the stress of our mission, and following Edward around while he did his assignments, was really getting to me. And on top of that, we were complete trouble magnets when we were together…what was up with that anyway? When I was away from them for a year, nothing happened to any of us at all. And then the second the three of us got together, it was like the universe shifted we suddenly became the center of all chaos in the world. I had never been such a point of interest in my other life. In fact, except for those that knew me personally, I was just another face in the crowd; just another tip to a waitress or another credit card to the bank. I was about to be a stay at home mom. I had my martial arts and I had my family, and I was content with that.

My eyes widened slightly as a thought came to my mind. Would I be happy to go back to that simple existence? After everything that happened, would I be able to wake up every morning and do the same thing every day? I cringed internally at the thought. Somehow, I knew I would no longer be content with such a life. So much had happened, and I wasn't the same person I once was. So if we finally succeeded, and I somehow went home, what would I do…?

I shook the thoughts from my head and forced myself to come back to the present. I was getting away from Central to take a break from thoughts like those.

I doodled idly on the leather bound journal that Mustang had given me, among other things. He had suggested that I keep a journal to order my thoughts when events begin to overwhelm me or I get stuck in an unpleasant memory. I was dubious at first, but he gave me this "listen to me because I know best" look, so I took it. At first I tried to write my thoughts down like he suggested, but that lost it's appeal quickly once I realized that it made me think about what I was writing, and that was hardly going to help me with my stress. So I started doodling random things that came to my mind. Edward's face, Mustang's crest, Alphonse's shoulder spikes, Jäger's tail…Soon the fine handmade paper was covered in little drawings of my life. I smiled. I really was terrible at drawing…

"You finally smiled."

The voice brought me out of my contemplations and I lifted my eyes to meet the expressionless ones of Barret, who sat across from me. For the past several hours, neither one of us had said a word to each other, not even when he had met Mustang and me at the station. At first I had protested his presence, but Mustang reminded me that there was a killer on the loose and I had been targeted before. I was also reminded that I was being stalked by a strange woman who may go after me for her still unknown but surely nefarious purposes. Grudgingly I admitted that he might be right. Just like he was right about everything else…Barret had merely nodded to me, and we had gotten on the train in silence. I wondered how he felt about seeing Orkan after so long. He said he hadn't seen his father in years.

What were the odds that I would be traveling with my master's son, who I had only met a few days ago? Fate really worked in strange ways, but I definitely didn't mind having someone so skilled around in this dangerous place...

"Alex?"

"Oh, sorry, I guess I'm a bit spacy today…"

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you…" Barret began and I tensed slightly. Here it came, the barrage of questions that I didn't want to answer. My expression closed off and I looked out the window, my shoulders slightly hunched. "Don't you think that outfit is a little ostentatious?"

"What?" I said, caught off guard. That wasn't what I was expecting at all. I looked down at myself. "I guess it is a bit…Mustang picked it out for me." I was wearing the clothes he had bought me that morning when he had insisted that I travel in something besides his large button up shirt. While staying up with me all night while I was being pathetic, we got a bit tipsy. As the night went on and my tension was eased a bit, we started speaking of less important things. I sort of revealed that I missed dressing up…and that I was tired of boring traveling clothes…and I missed being a woman because there were so many more interesting choices in fashion…I blushed as I remembered how I ranted for hours in his living room while Roy tried his best to stay awake. I was pretty sure he fell asleep about halfway through my rant about shoes or something. I smiled in amusement as I remembered his sleeping face as he was snoring loudly with his head leaned back against the couch. I had fallen silent then and merely watched him. He had really gone out of his way to help me, even though he barely knew me at all. He didn't have to reveal so much about his obviously painful past, but it undeniably helped me to put my problems into perspective. I really was being an overdramatic prick…My problems paled in comparison to what he had been through, and I knew that I needed to suck it up.

Anyway, that had led to the next morning's little shopping excursion. Mustang had woken up to find me watching the sky lighten in the early morning. Without greeting me, he had stumbled up his stairs and shut the bathroom door behind him, making me feel a little awkward. He was probably exhausted from having me keep him up all night…that and I had drank a lot of his alcohol…and ranted for hours about stupid stuff. Oops. I wondered, as I heard him turn on the shower, if I should make an escape before I was too embarrassed to face him. But then I remembered I didn't have any money and I was relying on him to help me get out of the city. Damn…

I needn't have worried. A half hour later he strolled down the stairs looking immaculate, as if he had not stayed up all night listening to a drunken teenager complain about fashion. My jaw dropped a little as I looked at what he was wearing. He had on a black button up shirt that was undone slightly at the top, revealing some of the skin of his chest and making his neck look longer, and he wore fitted pants that revealed exactly how built his thin frame was. Over this he wore a dark gray coat that accentuated his broad shoulders and slim waist, tapering down to his mid thigh. It was unlike anything I had seen the men around the city wear, which mostly consisted of black and brown pants over plain shirts and jackets. It was as if he had been trying to show me that all men in this world weren't "boring lumps who only wore the same thing as everyone else," which was something I said the night before amongst…other things. I gulped.

Mustang had merely smirked at my expression and handed me some clothes to borrow before promptly taking me out to buy supplies for my trip. That was how I ended up in what I was currently wearing. He brought me to a shop on the edge of town that was like nothing I had seen anywhere in Amestris. It felt higher class and a bit edgy; definitely a store you wouldn't see an average person walk into. We were promptly greeted at the door by the shop teller and I got the feeling that Mustang shopped there often. It was confirmed a second later when the colonel merely nodded in my direction and the shop keeper, a flamboyant man in his thirties that was wearing skin tight pants and a half buttoned shirt over his muscular frame, tutted at my appearance and had me follow him to the back of the store. He stood me up on a raised platform and reached for me. I flinched back slightly, and Mustang came to my rescue. "Try not to touch his skin. He has a phobia." The teller merely nodded as if it wasn't a completely odd request and was very careful to only touch me with his measuring tools, much to my relief.

I was promptly stripped of everything but my underwear and he measured every inch of my body. While this was happening, Mustang was walking in and out of the room adding to a pile of clothes he had selected for me to try. The whole time I was blushing madly as the two men scrutinized my nearly naked body as if it was no big deal. I had to hold back my inner woman who was squirming uncomfortably and trying to curl my arms over my flat chest.

Several dressings and strippings and manhandling later, I was wearing a calf length black jacket with more buttons and buckles than I knew what to do with, a deep emerald green shirt that Mustang said would set off my eyes once the red wore off (as it had been doing slowly since The Incident, thankfully) and tightly fitting leather pants that Edward would drool over synched with a studded belt. Come to think of it, I had wondered where Edward was buying his outfits…

I stood and stared at myself in the mirror, my mouth agape, as the two taller men stood behind me and appraised my appearance with serious expressions. The shop teller, whom I came to know as Redgie, rubbed his chin before adding a final touch to my outfit; a simple black choker with a gem embedded in it over my throat which matched the gem in my earring perfectly. He fiddled with my hair a few seconds, which had grown to my mid back, bound it and pulled it over my left shoulder. The result of the entire ensemble was a unique blend of masculinity and femininity that would make either gender stop and stare. "Whoa," I whispered. I had never felt more attractive in my life.

Behind me, Mustang whistled. "I've got to hand it to you, Redgie, you've got excellent taste, as always."

"Heh," Redgie chuckled in his deep growling voice, "Nah, I just added the final touches. It was all you. I gotta say, Roy, this was almost as fun as dressing you up. Where did you find this kid? Is he your long lost son or something?"

Mustang choked slightly and cleared his throat, his face going white. "He's a _friend_. I'm only 29! Do I look old enough to have a teenage son?"

"So, if he's not our son, then maybe your _boy-_ " Redgie ribbed.

"Um, hate to interrupt," I said quickly before this conversation could get _awkward_ , "But how much is this going to cost exactly?" I was worried, since Edward was the only one of the three of us who actually had a job and made money.

Mustang smiled evilly and I shivered. "Oh don't you worry about that. Ed will be sure to pay me back in full."

"But…Edward has to pay for his automail to be replaced," I said, frowning worriedly.

His black eyes glinted. "There are other ways than money to pay someone back."

Somehow that didn't reassure me, but I let it go. I tilted my head thoughtfully. "You really take care of the three of us, don't you?"

Mustang frowned slightly and looked away petulantly. "No such thing. I'm just doing this to get Ed to be indebted to me, that's all."

I smiled in amusement. No matter what he or Edward said, they actually liked each other, and I knew Edward really admired the older man. We all did.

"Keep your hands off my older brother, Mustang. I know he's hot, but he's really too young for you," I teased, and had the pleasure of watching Mustang's face turn green like he was going to be sick. Redgie and I had shared a laugh at Mustang's expense, and we had left the shop soon after. The price had been astronomical, of course, but Mustang simply wrote Amestris' equivalent of a check and strolled out like he had not bought three outfits for the price of a car. I decided then and there that Roy Mustang was my best friend in the whole world and I had to hold back from giving him an extremely unmanly hug. Although, I might have been able to get away with it while wearing that outfit…

I shook my head slowly, coming back to the present, the chattering of people and the clattering of the train bringing me out of my thoughts. I smiled softly and fingered one of the buttons on my jacket. It had been one of the most fun experiences I had had in Amestris, even though I had to be constantly careful of touching anyone or breaking anything with my still inhuman but slightly fading strength. It seemed like the more time passed the more the effects of the stone wore off. I hoped sincerely that the empathy powers would fade as well, although I wasn't quite willing to touch someone to find out…

Despite my protesting and embarrassed stuttering, Mustang had brought me to several other shops to buy luggage and other necessities, only giving me an amused look when I kept asking him why he was being so nice.

"Mustang, huh? That man is practically the _definition_ of ostentatious," Barret said in his strangely blank voice. Before I could digest _that_ particular statement, he continued. "It suits you."

"Um, thanks," I said, slightly awkward at the praise.

"Are you really only thirteen," Barret asked suddenly. I gave him a strange look.

"Why?"

"I don't know…it's just that sometimes you get this mature look on your face, like you've been through a lot. Edward too. And don't even get me started on Alphonse. He's huge, and he's supposed to be the youngest of you!"

Barret began to get slightly animated as he talked, and I decided that it looked kind of odd when his expression didn't change.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was actually a twenty six year old woman?" I asked, feeling a bit reckless.

His eyebrows scrunched up, making him look even more serious. "Um, no, I don't think I would."

"Well, then would you believe me if I told you that I was a three year old mutant?"

"That sounds even less likely."

"Then yes," I said, "I really am thirteen."

He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully and I thought for a moment that I might have revealed too much. But I brushed the fear aside. Truth really was more extraordinary than fiction. No one would ever believe it.

"What happened to you exactly the other day," he asked, changing the subject again. I was starting to really see the similarities between him and Orkan. They were both equally as blunt and intrusive with their questions. I sighed, not really wanting to talk about it. He continued on. "I was there, you know. I helped Alphonse remove the rubble from your body. You were crushed to death."

I remained silent.

"Then after we were ordered to make a perimeter, we saw a huge flash of light from where you guys still were, and now here you are, alive and well."

I bit my lip. "Look, I really don't want to talk about it. Can we just not?"

Barret looked at me blankly for a few seconds, then said "Buy me coffee."

"Wha-" I mumbled, now thoroughly confused. He was changing subjects so quickly that I was starting to get whiplash.

"You said you would buy me coffee to make up for backing out on our sparring match."

"Oh," I said, although I thought that statement was a bit unfair. I had died after all. "Well, we have a stop in the next town to wait for the next train. We should go to a café."

Barret nodded and I had to laugh a bit as he changed the subject _again._ "What's your favorite weapon?"

"Heh, what, are we playing twenty questions now?" I chuckled.

He smiled slightly. "You laughed."

"What? Oh, I guess I did."

"I'm glad you are feeling better."

I pursed my lips. "Were you trying to cheer me up?"

"It's better than watching you be moody the whole trip."

"Hey!"

For the next several hours, Barret and I chatted about everything and anything as the countryside flew by. Even though I barely knew him, I found Barret an interesting man to talk to. He had a slightly odd personality, as if he never knew when to change the subject or when a question was too personal. I couldn't really fault him for that though, being raised by an emotionally constipated man like Orkan. I was actually looking forward to seeing them side by side.

Eventually we made it to our next stop. Anklem, a town in between Rush Valley, which we bypassed, and Dublith, was a small bustling collection of buildings and narrow streets. I watched people go about their business as the train passed through the outer edge. It looked distinctly small town, but also like it might be a growing community. It felt like a mini Central, although the landscape was quite arid.

The train rolled to a stop at a quaint station on the edge of town. It was little more than a cobble stone platform, but it was bustling with people and little food and souvenir stalls. Barret and I grabbed our luggage and stepped out of the train. It was chilly outside, and I was grateful that the coat I was wearing was warm. Jäger mewled softly in protest to the movement and the sudden frigid air but settled back down once I flipped the flap of my messenger bag over him. I shook my head in amusement. How long could this little guy sleep? Maybe he was hibernating and I would have to carry him around until winter was over. If that was the case, I hoped he wouldn't get any bigger…

Barret gestured towards a posting of the train schedules and we headed over. I scanned the listings to see when our next train would arrive, and groaned when I read that we would be stuck here for the next three hours.

"Quit whining, you are fouling up the air. If you looked any more broody, women would swoon as you passed by."

"Shut up Barret," I grouched. "Your expression is so serious all of the time children cry in your presence. And I don't brood."

"Whatever you say kid."

I sent a mock glare at my companion and then glanced up and down the street. "Well, since we'll be here a while, we might as well look around." I eyed a stall a few buildings away that was selling something that looked sparkly.

"I don't know about you, kid, but I'm starving."

"Oh, right…food." I grimaced a bit, wondering if I was going to have to eat to keep up appearances.

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Barret said incredulously. "We've been on a train for seven hours and I haven't seen you eat once. Aren't you hungry?" He narrowed his eyes and leaned down into my face, causing me to scoot back. "Does this have something to do with being a twenty-six year old woman?"

Slightly distracted by his close proximity, I replied, "Well, no, it has more to do with me being a three year old mutant–Wait, hey! Are you implying that I need a diet?!" I placed my hands on my hips and sent him a vicious glare.

He backed up with raised eyebrows at my ridiculous statement. "So, you were telling the truth."

My mouth dropped open. He actually believed me? So much for my 'truth is stranger than fiction' theory. I frowned, but decided that if I was going to be stuck with him for several weeks he would find out eventually. "Yeah," I said decisively. "I'm actually both. I also don't eat or sleep and can come back from the dead."

"…" Barret was giving me this blank look, so I continued on, thinking 'what the heck'.

"Also, don't touch me cause I can read your emotions. And I have super strength. My eyes sometimes change color–"

Barret held up a hand in defeat. "Kid, you lost me about four sentences ago. Just tell me one thing. Is it that you don't _need_ to eat or you _can't_?"

Hm. That was a good question. I still ate sometimes…when I remembered. But it was never a priority like it used to be. I tried to remember a time when I had been hungry all the time, but it was like trying to remember what it was like to not be in pain when you've had a broken bone for three weeks.

"Whether you need to eat or not, I still think you should. I don't know much about mutants, but whatever is fueling you is probably not giving you vitamins or fat content."

"You have a good point," I said, deciding to not think about how he called me a mutant so easily. I hadn't really thought about it, but would my body deteriorate if I stopped eating all together? "You don't need to convince me, though. I still enjoy eating, I just forget sometimes. Also, it's not quite as satisfying if you eat something when you don't feel hungry."

"Well, here's my stomach, reminding you," Barret said blandly. "There's a cafe over there. Let's get something to eat." He turned and began walking away towards a small shop. I followed behind him thoughtfully.

It would really be helpful if I actually knew what I was besides 'not human'. Come to think of it, was there anyone out there like me, or was I just some unprecedented fluke? Even if there was another like me, there was no guarantee that I would ever find them. The gears in my mind began making a horrible grinding sound as thinking about it gave me a headache. I grimaced. The only one who seemed to know anything about me was my stalker, and I hadn't seen her since Liore…where she tricked me into eating red stone. Yeah, maybe it was a good thing I hadn't seen her around…

Barret and I sat down at a table under an umbrella in front of the shop. A waitress paused at our table to take our order. She turned to me first but I was slightly distracted with my thoughts and missed the first half of what she said.

"–can I get for you? Sir?"

I looked over at her, pulling slowly out of my thoughts. She was tall, with waist length blonde hair and pretty green eyes, about my age, maybe a little older. She was giving me a small smile and looking at me questioningly.

"Oh, um," I grabbed the menu in front of me, but was too distracted to read the tiny text. "I'll have the special," I said, setting it down and looking off into the distance again.

My mind drifted back to my thoughts. Was it possible that that woman was like me? I mean, she seemed pretty strange, as if something wasn't quite right…

"–drink? Sir?"

Startled, I realized that the waitress was still addressing me. She was leaning in close with her head tilted cutely to the side and giving me a wide smile. Across from me, Barret was wearing an annoyed expression. At least I think he was. It's sometimes hard to tell.

"Um, water's fine…" I drifted off again. I wondered if I would actually see that woman again. She seemed interested in me for some reason. Maybe she had some of the answers I was looking for…

The waitress, finally done taking my order, I guessed, talked briefly to Barret before walking away. As soon as she was out of sight, Barret kicked me in the shin. Hard.

"Ow! What was that for!" I exclaimed, rubbing my let in surprise. It hadn't really hurt, but I was startled.

"Are you blind? If that girl's flirting was any more obvious, she would have kissed you full on the mouth," he grumbled.

"Wait, what?" I looked to where the waitress had disappeared and was alarmed to see that she was standing behind the bar in the restaurant with several other serving girls. They were pointing in my direction and giggling. I sank down into my seat with a blush, which only made their chattering get louder.

"Ah, the advantages of being beautiful," Barret teased with a straight face.

"Shut up," I grumbled. "There's no point in _me_ getting attention from women."

"Ah, right. Well, if it makes you feel any better, there is an attractive blonde man staring at you as well." Barret pointed across the street and I glanced over, curious. Sure enough, a young man was staring at me intensely from the cafe across the street. He had short wavy blonde hair that covered one blue eye and was quite tall, even sitting down. I waved at him playfully, thinking it would be funny to see his reaction when he got caught staring at a man in public. Instead of being put off though, he smiled and stood up, leaving change on his table, and began walking towards us. My hand and expression froze.

"Well, that's quite bold of him," Barret commented as the young man approached.

He stopped a few paces away from us and smiled. The girls behind me began chattering louder, and to my annoyance I heard a few squeals. I mentally sighed. Small town girls. Had I ever been that annoying…? I turned my attention back to the man, who seemed to be waiting for me to address him. "Um, can I help you…?" I said awkwardly.

His smile changed into a smirk. A spark of recognition went off in my mind, and then the sparks became fireworks when he spoke in a familiar husky voice.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Alex Elric?"

I stood abruptly, shocked, and pointed wildly. "It can't be…" It had been over a year, but there was no mistaking that handsome face or that arrogant smirk or that supermodel wavy hair. It was none other than…"Edward imposter!"

 _Hello! Hoped you guys enjoyed a bit of a break from the drama. Alex is being a complete space-case in this episode and it was pretty fun to write. It was a little funny, a little awkward, and definitely a break from the heavy chapters I've been writing lately, so it was refreshing for me. This chapter was nothing to write home about, but still fun._

 _Heh, Mustang_ ** _would_** _be a male fashionista. I mean, he's so vain, how could he not be? At least that's what I think. I'm totally destroying his bad boy image… I know it was kinda random, but I thought it was time to give Alex a makeover. I'm shamelessly treating him like a doll for my amusement. Poor kid._

 _Also expanded on Barret. He's so funny, I can't wait to write him and Orkan together._

 _Next Chapter: more shenanigans as Alex plays with some old friends…and some actual plot…but mostly shenanigans._


	34. Chapter 34

"Edward imposter," I shouted, my words echoing absurdly loudly off the narrow street. Stunned silence met my words as the young man in front of me gaped. The chatter had stopped around me as the other customers turned to see what the fuss was about, but I didn't notice, because I was so surprised to see one of the Tringham boys so far from–what felt like–a lifetime ago in Xenotime.

"I have a name you know," the older Tringham said after a moment of awkward silence. I dropped my hand and shut my mouth, slightly embarrassed.

"Right…Brussels or something…"

The blonde slumped slightly before pinching his nose in annoyance. " _Russel_ Tringham! You'd think after all we've been through together, you would remember my name."

"Hey, don't blame me!" I said defensively. "If I remember correctly, most of the time we were in Xenotime you were being the mysterious and hostile imposter and/or I was delirious. I only found out your name at the very end!" I looked around. "By the way, where's mini-me?"

Russel's face scrunched up in confusion. " _Mini-?_ "

"Brother!" A voice shouted, and we turned to look. My mouth dropped open again. If I didn't stop this soon I was going to begin catching flies.

"Is that–" Running towards us was another young man who could only be Fletcher, the boy who had impersonated me in Xenotime. But it was not the boy I remembered. It had only been a year, but he child that had been at least a head shorter than me was now almost as tall as his older brother. He had grown his hair out as well, showing that wavy hair and height was definitely a family trait. He stopped beside his older brother and held out a package.

"Brother, look! I found a vendor who's selling rare seeds," Fletcher said excitedly. Russell glance down at the package in interest. As he looked, I got a chance to stare at the two boys together. Even though they wore plain shirts and overalls, it was like this sparkly aura surrounded the two handsome young men. They were the picture perfect brothers. I wondered vaguely if my brothers and I ever sparkled like that. Suddenly I got this absurd image of me, Al and Ed standing together wearing plain overalls with charming welcoming smiles, sparkles flitting about us, but my mind short-circuited as I couldn't imagine Ed wearing such mundane clothes. Or Al. It would look kind of weird over the armor…Russell patted Fletcher on the head.

"These are great! Our collection is growing." Fletcher smiled widely at the praise.

"Aren't you like eleven? How on earth did you manage to get taller than me!" I said suddenly, because out of everything, that was what stuck out in my mind.

"Heh," Russell laughed, "Now who's the Edward imposter?" Fletcher looked over to me curiously, seeming to just notice I was there.

"Who's this, brother," he said, tilting his head to the side. Yup, still adorable.

"Don't you recognize him? It's Alex Elric."

Fletcher's blue eyes widened. "It can't be…you look so different!"

 _Look who's talking_ , I thought. "I haven't changed all that much…"

"No, he's right. I hardly recognized you either in that getup. Looks like you've taken page from Edward and Alphonse's book with the flashy clothes."

"Wait, Al doesn't wear flashy clothes," I said, confused.

Russell lifted his eyebrows. "He wears a suit of armor everywhere he goes."

Oh, right. I guess from an outsiders perspective it would look like he likes to wear strange stuff. Sometimes I forget that others don't know our story. "We like to stand out?" I hedged.

Russell chuckled. "I'll say. So where are those two?" He looked around curiously.

My heart dropped a little. "Oh, you know…we're not together _all_ of the time."

"Hm…I suppose not."

"Well, it doesn't matter. It's great to see you!"

Before I could choke out a startled 'wait!' Fletcher had pulled me into his arms in an exuberant hug. I went rigid, waiting for the onslaught of emotions to come, and I did feel something, but...it was not at all what I was expecting. Instead of a flood, I felt only a small trickle of what the boy was feeling: happiness and excitement. Fletcher pulled back with a frown when I didn't respond and then blushed when he saw the startled expression on my face. He stepped back quickly.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to jump you like that…I just was happy to see you." He scratched the back of his head as his face went crimson. Russell smirked in amusement and elbowed him in the side.

I stared at him dumbly for a second. "Wait…you mean you didn't feel anything?"

"Er, feel what?" he said, his face still red.

My mouth dropped open slightly and a tentative hope rose in my chest. I spun on my heel and faced Barret, who had been munching on a sandwich and watching with a bored expression the whole time. "Barret," I shouted. I stalked forward in three abrupt strides and got in his face, making him lean back in surprise. I whipped off the tinted glasses that had been obscuring my eyes and said, "what color are my eyes?!"

Barret continued to chew his sandwich as he stared at me blandly while I invaded his personal space. "I'd say a gross brown-green color. Now quit breathing my air." With that he shoved my face away with his hand, causing me to stumble back. In the second our skin had been in contact, I felt a flash of annoyance obscured by amusement, and then it was gone. I fell back into my empty chair with a shocked expression. I…wasn't projecting my emotions anymore. I was going back to normal…!

"Alex…? What is it?" Fletcher asked tentatively.

Elation beginning to bubble up within me, I jumped back up to my feet and strode over to the younger boy. I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of his startled face, (man, he had grown at least three inches taller than me, I still couldn't get over that) and leaned in close, staring into his blue eyes.

"U-um," he stuttered, his blush coming back with a vengeance, but I ignored him and concentrated. I could feel his confusion and embarrassement, but it was not the deep connection I had felt with Edward and Alphonse. I closed my eyes and leaned in a bit closer, seeing if I could project my feelings to him, when I was suddenly yanked back by Russell.

"Hey, I was trying something," I complained loudly, but he cut me off.

"Just what do you think you were about to do to my little brother," he said, glaring.

"What are you talking about, I was just–" I gestured to Fletcher and then paused when I noticed he was staring at me wide eyed with a blush on his face. I glanced around and we were being stared at by everyone in the restaurant who were looking at us with a wide range of disgust, confusion, to outright adoration.

Suddenly I realized what getting that close to Fletcher might have looked like–grabbing his face, leaning in close– and I face palmed. "No, wait! It's not what it looks like!" I said to the irate protective older brother.

"Then what _were_ you doing?" He said angrily. I mumbled something under my breath and Russel shook my collar, jerking me slightly. "What was that?"

"I said, can we talk about this somewhere a bit more…private?"

Russel narrowed his eyes suspiciously before sighing. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a particular red substance, would it?" For a second I was surprised. How could he possibly know that I was given a red stone? Was it written all over my face? Did I have red lips or something, like I had eaten a red popsicle? But then I remembered. He was there the last time I had been exposed to the red stone, or I guess it was red water, in Xenotime. He probably made an inference by the change in color in my eyes or something. And, seeing as that was about all he really knew about me–that I had strange reactions to red stones and water–it wasn't all that far of a leap. Stupid genius's. There were too damn many of them in this world.

Setting aside that I just contradicted myself in my own mind, I decided I did not like his tone. I glared. He made it sound like I got into a cookie jar I wasn't supposed to or something. "Yes, you caught me," I said, "I'm on my period."

Russell jumped back and dropped my jacket as if it burned him. His face turned as crimson as his little brother's and he began stuttering with wide eyes. "W-wait, what! But you're a guy!" He glared at me a second later, realizing I was joking.

I smirked to myself secretly before nonchalantly straightening my jacket. Gets 'em every time. I glanced around and noticed we still had an audience, and the other patrons were beginning to whisper. Sensing that we may not be welcome anymore if we continued to cause a scene, I turned back to my companion, who was polishing off his lunch, and made a gesture towards the street.

Barret glanced at me with a bland expression and pointedly looked at my own plate, which I just noticed had a sandwich on it as well. Huh, when had that gotten there? I looked back at him and he gave me this _look_ , like, 'I'm going to shove it down your throat if you don't eat it' look. I sighed and grabbed the sandwich, wrapping it in the paper it was sitting on, before beginning to walk away. Barrett grabbed both of our bags, shoving mine on my shoulder (really, he was so rude) and we started to leave the restaurant. I glanced back when I noticed a distinct lack of blonde in my personal space.

Russell and Fletcher were standing where I had left them, both sporting an attractive look of consternation on their faces, as if they couldn't figure out what to make of me. Well, they should suck it up because that was nothing new. "Are you guys coming?" I asked innocently.

The brothers shared a look for a second, and then Fletcher shrugged with a smile and ran to catch up with me. Russel just sighed before following with a resigned expression.

o-0-o

At another cafe across town, the four of us sat in a secluded corner surrounded by decorative plants for privacy. Barret and I were sitting on one side of the booth while the two Tringhams sat opposite us. It was eerily quiet as I bit off small bites of my sandwich, not really tasting it other than to register that it was pretty good. After all, one doesn't really enjoy food very much if they never feel hungry. It was kind of like going to bed after taking a nap. Besides, he was giving me these looks that said 'eat or die.' Or I was just misinterpreting him. With that blank face, he could be thinking about anything. But his eyes suspiciously narrowed every time I tried to put the sandwhich down…

"So…" Russel said.

"How have you guys been?" I asked suddenly, interrupting whatever he was going to ask. Russel blinked, as if not quit sure how to respond.

Luckily, Fletcher wasn't so unsettled. He lit up with a bright smile. "We've been great! After you left the town, Russel and I were given a huge share of the sky stones–that's what we've decided to call them– and they were a huge hit! Now the town is famous for our jewelers once more, although a lot of them had to learn a new trade after being goldsmiths and miners for so long. Nice earring, by the way, is that the one I gave you?" The boy prattled on, barely breathing he was talking so fast. Was this really the shy boy I had known all those months ago, I mused to myself. "But the point is, the economy in Xenotime is completely restored! And Russel and I were able to buy our own land and build a lab and continue on our work of detoxifying with plant alchemy and–"

"Whoa, kid, slow down," I said with a grin. "You have to breathe at some point."

Fletcher stopped and smiled ruefully. He looked down shyly and I was finally reminded of the shy boy he used to be. "Sorry, I can get a bit carried away sometimes."

"I'll say," Barret said rudely.

"Shut up, Barret," I said without missing a beat.

"Whatever you say boss." I snorted and plucked a piece of meat from my sandwich, nudging my bag and holding it out between my fingers. A quiet mew came from the sac and a little green nose poked out followed by droopy eyes and big ears. Jäger looked around blearily before snatching the meat from my fingers and drawing back into the warm bag. I smiled.

"I don't mean to be rude," Russel said, looking at Barret. The man glanced at him. "but who exactly are you?"

"Barret," the black haired man said shortly.

"Right…" Russel said. He shook his head and turned his attention back to me. "So, Alex, are you going to tell us what happened? You obviously came into contact with the red stone again."

I glared, wanting to tell him something along the lines of 'it's none of your business,' but his expression was worried and sincere. I sighed and folded my hands, looking down at the table.

"Yeah, my brothers used one on me."

Both Fletcher and Russel's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what do you mean they 'used one' on you! They were there the last time it happened, they _knew_ how dangerous that was," Russel said angrily, and then he winced. "Sorry, Alex, I didn't mean…"

"No," I said ruefully, "you're right. It was dangerous. I could have lost control and gone on a rampage."

"So that didn't happen?" Russel asked tentatively, clearly remembering the last time he had seen me come in contact with the red stone.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I was badly injured at the time and unconscious when it was given to me. All that happened was a 'huge flash of light'," I quoted, glancing at Barret. He was staring off into the distance as if he was not completely interested in the conversation. I ignored him and continued. "And then I was healed. I didn't wake until two days later."

"So he did it to save you then…"

"Yeah. When I woke up though, I had to face the…unusual consequences. I…didn't take it very well."

"You fought."

I grunted mirthlessly. "More like I yelled horrible things at them and then bashed Ed's head into a bathroom wall. And then I ran. I don't know if they'll ever forgive me…"

"They will," Fletcher suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with conviction. "They'll forgive you because you're brothers. Sometimes I say awful stuff to Russel when I'm angry, and he always forgives me." He smiled up at his older brother, who smiled back and rustled his hair. I squinted. They were sparkling again.

I looked at my folded hands. That was just it, wasn't it? We _weren't_ brothers, not really. Yes, the three of us had become undoubtably close these past few years, reaching a level of trust I never thought would be possible when I first met them under those horrible circumstances, but…those things I said…I frowned deeply.

My dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted as I received a face full of sandwich. "Agh!" I sat in stunned silence and stared at a smug looking Barret, who calmly licked the mustard off his fingers. A slice of meat fell off my face.

"I told you I would force it down your throat if you didn't eat it," he said calmly.

"Barret," I gasped, "You fucking bastard…!"

Fletcher and Russel laughed behind their hands. I blew a fuze.

"AAAaaagh!" I screamed and flipped Barret's chair for a second time, this time with a lot more force. The man fell to the floor with an oomph and then cradled his head as the chair came swiftly after him. That taken care of, I wiped at my face vigerously. "Ah! You bastard, you got it in my hair," I whined pathetically, trying to use a wet napkin to wipe off the mustard in my ponytail.

Fletcher and Russel were laughing hysterically at this point, and I sent them a fierce glare, but I was too busy making sure I didn't have sandwich all over my clothes to do anything about them.

"You are such a girl sometimes," Russel joked.

"Ha ha, yeah." I said.

Barrett sat up on the floor and lifted a finger. "Well, that's because he actually _is_ –"

I was on him so fast my hair cracked behind me like a whip. I smacked my hand over his mouth, while the two boys looked on curiously. "ONE more word, bastard, and I will rip your FACE off," I hissed. His bland expression didn't change, but I could clearly feel amusement and I had to physically restrain myself from using too much force and actually hurting him. "Stop laughing at me, dammit!"

Barrett merely tilted his head innocently, and I opened my mouth to make another scathing threat when a sudden shiver worked its way down my spine. I stood up slowly and looked around the restaurant with sharp eyes. There were only a few other patrons in the quiet cafe, two men at a table across the room and a small woman walking out of the door, and none of them were paying attention to me. Maybe it was just my imagination, but for a second it felt like someone had been staring at me intently…

"What is it, Alex?" Fletcher asked, trying to see what had caught my attention. The woman shut the door behind her with the tinkling of a bell and the men were deep in their own conversation.

"…It's nothing."

Barret stood from the floor and brushed himself off. "We have to leave. The next train is going to arrive in ten minutes," he said casually, as if I had not just assaulted him.

"Right," I said. I looked over at Russel and Fletcher a bit sadly. It had been great to see them, and I didn't want to say goodbye just yet…

Russell looked at his watch. "Our train is also arriving in ten minutes. You two wouldn't happen to be going to Dublith, would you?"

"Yeah, I'm going to see my master there for a few days…"

"Well, that's great!" Fletcher said. "We are going there to see the Winter Festival! We should travel together!"

"No way, really!?" I said, elated. "Great! Yeah, let's!"

"Oh, joy," Barret said. I tried to elbow him in the ribs, but he swiftly sidestepped it.

Fletcher laughed excitedly and pulled me in by my arm, doing the same to his older brother who bore a long suffering expression on his face. "This is fantastic! Let's go on an adventure!" With that he dragged the two of us along with him, his excitement leaking into me like a sieve and adding to my own. A laugh bubbled out of my chest.

"Oh, wait, hang on," I said, but the boy continued to drag me as if he hadn't heard me. "Barret, grab Jäger!"

Barret grumbled inaudibly but grabbed our bags and began to follow us.

I smiled widely, exhilarated both by the fact that the red stone had worn off enough to allow me to touch others (although I was still being careful with my enhanced strength to make sure my arm was completely slack, lest I hurt Fletcher), and that I would be traveling with the Tringhams, who I had only hoped I would ever see again when we parted last time.

Yes, things were definitely looking up!

o-0-o

Chaos, glorious chaos and destruction reigned down in the city of Lior, on the other side of the continent, and sent shivers of pleasure down Lust's spine.

"Humans never cease to amaze me with their stupidity," Lust simpered in her husky voice. She watched from the highest tower in the Cathedral, watching as shops were looted, buildings were destroyed, and families were torn apart by their little ruse.

After those meddlesome boys had left, Lust had to slightly alter her plans, but with a convenient switch of Father Cornello with someone a bit more…competent, their plot was actually greatly accelerated. Lust licked her lips as she watched the people of Lior tear themselves apart, trails of smoke curling into the air saturated with screams. It wouldn't be long now before the military got involved, and then they could really begin.

"Manipulate a few details, spout some empty rhetoric to the believers, and you have a fine recipe for instant violence. Wouldn't you say Gluttony?" Lust said, petting the bald head of the short man beside her.

"Fools, all of them," Gluttony said with his high, whiny voice. He peaked over the railing and grinned childishly. "Lust, can I eat them?"

"Not just yet, dear," Lust said absently. "We are almost done here."

Lust was interrupted in her musings by the ringing of a phone on the table next to her. She frowned. That was a direct line, and only a few knew that number, and that meant trouble. Ah, well, there wasn't much left to do here anyway.

She delicately lifted the phone to her ear with her thin gloved hand. "What is it," she said, examining her nails.

An unfamiliar feminine voice answered her on the other end, but the unmistakable tone of arrogance and malice immediately identified the caller.

"I know something you don't know," the voice sang in an obnoxious falsetto.

"Envy," Lust said absently. "Spit it out, I haven't got all day."

"Oh please," Envy said, "I did all of the heavy lifting in Lior with all those speeches, you hardly have anything left to do."

"What do you want, Envy."

"Oh, alright," her colleague said irritably. "You can be such a cold bitch sometimes, you know that? Why don't you try showing affection to someone other than that tub of lard for once."

"Envy," Lust said, allowing annoyance to seep into her voice.

"Your little pet is here, in Anklem."

Lust paused for a second surprised. "I thought the Elric's were on their way to Resembool."

"Yeah, well whoever you have tailing them should get there eyes checked, because one of the little ducklings has strayed."

Lust frowned in annoyance. This was not good news. If they had separated, it would be harder to track their movements.

"That's not all," Envy sang.

"Out with it," Lust snapped.

"The boy has been fed more red stones," Envy said bluntly.

The woman felt a spike of alarm at the news. She put a hand over her mouth in thought. Damn, how had they gotten ahold of them? She had thought she would have more time, but if he was being fed the red stones…

"You better hurry before another one is ruined," Envy said smugly from the other side of the line.

Lust grimaced and glanced at Gluttony, who was swiping at the air with a blank expression of insanity on his face. She hoped it wasn't too late… "I don't suppose you could keep an eye on him till I get there?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"No can do, toots," Envy replied predictably, "I've got my own duties to get back to. I've already saved your ass once when you let that fool Cornello die, and I'm not going to do it again unless there's something in it for me." With that, the phone was abruptly hung up, leaving only a dial tone to ring in the frowning woman's ear. Irritably, she slammed it down on the receiver, shattering the phone in the process.

"Lust," Gluttony whined, sucking on his finger and shuffling over. The woman looked down on him coldly. No, she would not let another one be ruined like the pathetic lump in front of her. She had hoped that she could give the boy a few more years to mature before she went through with her plan, but it looked like she was out of time.

She stood. "Go home, Gluttony. We're through here."

"What about you?" Gluttony whispered, looking up at her piteously.

"I have a little errand to run," Lust said grimly. She just hoped she wasn't too late.

o-0-o

In Aklem, a short but plain woman hung up the phone she was holding abruptly, a demented look of smugness on her face. She glanced behind her and watched three boys board a train, followed by an older man. Oooh, it would be great fun to watch the drama unfold if the woman followed them, but alas, duty calls. With a final shrug, the woman turned into an ally and the air began to ripple around her. A few seconds later, a large man with a broad nose and a stern expression stood in her place. He plucked a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, walking down the street with an uneven gait.

 _Oh, ho, what was that all about? Not telling! Ehehe. Is Alex in danger? Maaaybe._

 _Heh, this chapter was so fun to write! Barret is being unexpectedly interesting, and Fletcher was so cuuuute! Yeah, they are going to hang around a bit longer. I can't wait!_

 _Next chapter: An interesting family dinner, Alex plays around with his new strength, and the boys go to a festival!_


	35. Chapter 35

It was late at night, and silence filled the compartments on the train we we were traveling on. The moon was bright that night, and I sat with my legs crossed, my journal on my lap. I was entertaining myself by drawing everything I could see. I had already filled the small journal a quarter of the way with little doodles.

Across from me, the two Tringhams were sleeping deeply, Russel with his head resting to the side on the train bench and Fletcher sprawled across his lap. Russel's hand was resting lightly on Fletcher's chest, which was rising and falling gently as he slept. Barret was snoring softly to my left, his face pressed against the window, causing his breath to create a little circle of mist every time he exhaled. His face relaxed when he slept, making him look not quite so serious.

I was currently working on a doodle of the two boys across from me, but unfortunately for them, my drawing skills consisted of crude cartoons that were barely recognizable as humans. When I finished my sketch, I amused myself by adding several sparkles…and then I gave them cat ears..and then I looked over at Barret's face and wondered how mad he would get if I drew a mustache on him…

I sighed. It really was boring being the only one who couldn't sleep. I kind of missed the crazy dreams I used to have, which never failed to prove that my imagination was twisted. Now, I just waited for everyone else to wake up every day, and without Alphonse to keep me company, it was actually quite depressing.

But I wasn't feeling very depressed at that moment. No, I was content. I was surrounded by friends and on my way to see the man who trained me and became my de-facto uncle at the same time. That and we were going to go to the Winter Festival, which I had not been able to enjoy when I worked at the Plaid Skirt because that had been our busiest time.

Even though it meant leaving my brothers behind, I was glad I was taking this little vacation. I wasn't feeling the pressure of completing a mission, we weren't after any crazy people who needed to be stopped, and I wasn't being chased down by a serial killer. At least I'm pretty sure I wasn't. I hoped Edward and Alphonse got a bodyguard of their own, just in case…

I finished up my sketch of Fletcher as a golden retriever by drawing a little heart with a smiley face next to him, and then put down my pen. Huh, that one was actually pretty good…I sighed again and looked out the window. It would be about another four hours till dawn, and then we would be arriving in Dublith sometime mid-morning. This train ride was dragging on forever…

I gazed at the moon absently. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the last of the red faded from my eyes, leaving the clear green they were meant to be.

"Ugh," I moaned suddenly, as a sharp pain radiated from my chest, causing me to jump. I clutched at my shirt as it suddenly felt like someone repeatedly punched me in the sternum. I grit my teeth, about to cry out, but a split second later, the pain was gone. I blinked, bewildered. What was that?

I didn't have long to wonder however, because a second wave of pain gripped me a moment later, causing me to double over with a grimace. "hnnnnnn," I moaned quietly, trying to ride out the pain without alarming my companions. The second wave was a bit longer, but then it too ended. I sat up slowly, dazed. Wha? I lifted my shirt and looked down at my flat chest, but there was nothing there, no indication of injury. I ran my hand over myself but felt no flaws.

My mouth dried up an instant later as I was gripped by a sudden intense craving, and I jerked back against the bench, completely nonplussed. It wasn't hunger. No, it didn't feel like it had anything to do with my stomach, but it was as if there was this sudden aching need that I had to fulfill, but I had absolutely no idea what I had to do to make it better.

"What the hell," I whispered in the quite compartment. I shifted uncomfortably and waited but the pain never returned and the craving never went away. I sat there tensed for several minutes, willing myself to go back to normal, but gave up quickly. I leaned back and put a hand over my face in annoyance. Just another thing, another problem. I could never catch a break. I wished desperately that someone would just explain to me what was going on instead of having to struggle, always struggle, to figure it out myself.

But no matter how hard I wished, the feeling didn't leave me, and no mysterious benefactor showed up with answers. I sighed and stood. Maybe it was time for a little distraction.

o-0-o

A few hours later, and I was freezing cold. It was flipping freezing up here! But I couldn't deny that I was enjoying myself greatly. I was sitting atop the train car, the wind whipping around me as we traveled well over a hundred miles an hour, and watching the sunrise. We were passing an arid landscape with sparce foliage on a flat plane in every direction. The sun was just rising over the horizon in a brilliant array of pinks and purples in the clear sky, and the light was reflecting off the land in a brilliant orange, the few plants on the land casting long shadows. It was ethereal.

The early winter wind was biting into my flesh painfully, but I ignored it. I highly doubted it would be damaging to me. There were very few things that could hurt me anymore…and besides that, it was distracting me from that weird craving, which had settled down into a constant dull ache. I wondered how long I would have to deal with it, or what it even was. I remembered I had felt like that after Xenotime, but this time it was a lot stronger.

I distractedly brushed aside a lock of hair that was fluttering in my eyes and concentrated on watching the beautiful sunrise. It was like nothing I had ever seen in my own world. Not because it was particularly special, or this landscape was unique. No, there were many places like this on my earth. It was just that I had never taken the time to travel in my past life. I never stepped foot out of my tiny existence within my tiny circle of loved ones. I had been so ignorant of the world back then, never taking chances. I was never timid, no, I just never felt the need to be anywhere else than where I was. Now that I technically had no home to return to, I felt strangely free. Although, I thought to myself ruefully, I was only afforded this freedom because Edward made so much money as a state alchemist. I seriously doubted I could have this lifestyle if I was on my own. I resolved to tell him just how much I appreciated what he did for us when I saw him next…That was, if he didn't eject me from the Elric clan for what I did…My heart panged sharply.

"What the hell are you doing up here," Barret suddenly shouted over the wind, snapping me out of my reverie. I turned to see him climbing out of the hatch behind me with a deep frown on his face. He stood to his full height, stumbling from the intensity of the wind, and clutched at his arms. He sneezed. "It's damn cold, and I find you sitting on top of the train like an idiot." Despite his words, he walked towards me and sat at my side, hunching down against the wind.

For several minutes, he stared out into the sunrise with me, the pale winter sun providing little warmth as it rose. He was stoic, but I could see that his lips were turning blue. I was probably looking frightful myself…I sighed and stood, stumbling slightly as my numb limbs protested at taking my weight. I shook them out. Barret stood beside me with a slight look of relief, and the two of us climbed back into the train.

The warmth hit me like a solid wall, and suddenly all of my limbs were burning in protest as the blood began to recirculate. sitting up there for hours was probably not a good idea after all…

I rubbed my arms vigorously as we made our way back to our booth. As soon as we rounded the corner, however, I was immediately engulfed by a warm pair of arms, almost burningly hot after the cold. Instantly, I was a bit overwhelmed by worry and a healthy dose of affection from a certain blonde boy. "Alex! Where have you been!? Oh my god, you are so cold!" Fletcher babbled into my ear, holding onto me tightly.

"Oh my goodness," I said, surprised. He pulled back and frowned at me, almost pouting.

"We woke up and you were gone! We were worried!"

I rubbed his hair affectionately with a tingling hand. "You are so sweet." The boy blushed cutely and swiped at my hand. I pulled back with a smile.

Behind him, Russel was standing with his arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged, an innocent look on my face. He grimaced and then sighed. "Come here, we've got some warm soup for breakfast."

"All right~!" I cheered.

o-0-o

Nostalgia hit me as I stood outside of the Plaid Skirt. Seeing the old wooden bar again made me almost feel like none of the past two years had happened and I was still working as a bartender, training day in and day out. Barret stood behind me, a blank expression on his face. The Tringhams were nowhere to be seen, as they had parted from us at the station to go find themselves lodging for the night.

"So, it's been how long since you've been here?"

"Hmm…about seven years, I think," he said.

I whistled low. "Damn. If I didn't see my father for over a year, he would send the marines after me." I amused myself by imagining the entire United States forces tearing apart the country to find me just because I missed Sunday lunch. I smiled sadly. They had probably given up on me by now…assuming I was even still alive on the other side…

"Let's just get this over with," Barret said grimly, as if we were going to do a military raid rather than see his estranged father.

I nodded and headed for the door. The little bell tinkled as we entered and I looked around. Yup, it was just like I left it. It was empty, as it was still only midmorning, and the tables were polished clean, the chairs resting on top of them.

A deep snoring could be heard in the quiet room, and I spotted my master Orkan sleeping on the bar, his head hanging off the side and his body sprawled out on the polished surface. Several dirty glasses littered the counter beside him.

"And right where I left you…" I mumbled to myself in amusement. Nothing had changed at all.

I wondered vaguely how I should wake the old man up, but Barret beat me to the punchline. He strode over to the counter and kicked it hard enough to shake the whole bar. "Wake up, you damn old man, and greet your son!"

Orkan snorted loudly and slipped off the bar, falling hard on the floor. I guffawed loudly while Barret watched impassively.

The wiry old man was back on his feet in an instant, looking around with a dazed expression. "What! What! Where's the fire!"

"Are you blind? I knew you were getting old, but this is ridiculous."

Orkan straightened up rigidly and glanced between me and his son what narrowed eyes. "So, the prodigal son has returned," He growled. "I thought I told you not to come back until you had a wife, you damn ungrateful kid."

"You were never married in the first place, you hypocritical old bastard."

I stood silently with my mouth agape as I watched literal sparks fly between the two men. If I had known they _hated_ each other, I would have left Barret with the Tringhams! They bowed up to each other, looking eerily similar now that I saw them together, and I was starting to wonder if I should intervene before blood was shed, when Orkan suddenly laughed loudly and ruffled Barret's hair.

"Gah! Dad!" Barrett exclaimed, swiping at Orkan's hand.

"Welcome home, kid," Orkan said in his growly voice. Barret shrugged and folded his arms, a small smile on his face for all he tried to scowl.

"Didn't really have a choice. I'm guarding short stuff over there."

Orkan looked over in my direction, giving me a once-over. "You need protection now? Don't tell me you stopped training after you left. Did you become a weakling or something?"

"Of course not!" I bristled. "In fact, I'm way stronger than you now, you decrepit old bastard."

"Heh, we'll see." He grinned, taking in my appearance. "You should know, though, I don't fight little girls."

"What! I'm gone for two years and that's all you have to say to me!? Where's the love?" I pouted.

Orkan grunted and walked over to stand in front of me. "You've gotten taller, brat."

I dropped my pout and grinned. "Nah, you're just getting shorter." He smacked me on the head, and I yelped, complaining loudly.

"Gear up, both of you. I want to see how much you've grown."

Barret cracked his knuckles. "I'll kill you this time, you old bastard."

"I'd like to see you try, brat."

They exchanged banter and shoved at each other as they exited though the back door, leaving me alone in the silent bar. I gulped. He wanted me to fight him. I looked down at my hands. When I'm like this? I could really hurt him. Orkan called my name obnoxiously from outside, and I took a deep breath. I guess I'd better just be honest and tell him that I can't.

I walked out of the bar…and was treated with one of the most stunning displays of martial arts I had ever witnessed. Orkan and Barret were like a blur of movement as they exchanged blows furiously. They looked like a set of matched blades as they moved in an almost identical fashion, as if they knew every move the other was going to make.

Their fight moved across the training field, as they swiped, kicked and dodged each other's blows. For several minutes, as I watched breathlessly, they seemed evenly matched. But it didn't last. Barret might have been stronger and younger than his father, but he could not match the wily old man in technique. Seven minutes into the fight, and Orkan swept the feet out from under the younger man and then shoved him down, sending him sprawling. He finished it with a kick to the throat that he stopped only at the last second, a 'kill blow' to end the fight.

A stalemate held as the two men regained their breaths, not moving and only staring at each other. Then Barret dropped his head to the ground and groaned in defeat. "You wouldn't have won if we were sparring with swords," he grumbled.

Orkan chuckled and helped his son to his feet. "Keep making excuses like those, and you'll never beat me."

Barret grumbled as he brushed himself off. He muttered under his breath as he stalked to the edge of the field and sat down, looking at me expectantly.

Orkan gestured for me to come over, and I walked slowly, my nervousness growing with every step. The old man cracked his neck and loosened his arms before stepping into an easy fighting stance. I did not move.

"Well?" The old man said irritably.

"I can't fight you."

Orkan straightened up and crossed his arms. "Why the hell not!"

Hmm. How did I explain this without making it seem like I thought he was weak? I glanced around and spotted a sizable rock a few yards away. I picked it up. "Because I don't know the limits of my strength," I said honestly. And I didn't, because I hadn't even tried to find out.

"Sounds stupid to me," Orkan grouched, but he fell into a stunned silence a second later when I hefted the ten pound rock and threw it as hard as I could. It soared, almost faster than the eye could see 200-no, 250-yards and slammed into the tree at the corner of the training field with a loud crack. I winced and glanced over to Orkan, who was standing with his mouth agape.

"Well, I'll be damned. What the hell have you been eating?"

"Spinach," I quipped, but grimaced as the tree fell over with a sharp report and fell right on top of Orkan's fence. "Sorry, I'll fix that," I said.

From across the yard, I could hear Barret clapping slowly, looking impressed. I sent him a glare.

Orkan cleared his throat. "Yeah, I don't think a spar is a good idea after all. I'll probably end up dead."

I winced. "You aren't going to ask me why I'm so strong?"

Orkan shrugged. "Nope." I gave him a strange look. He was taking this all rather well. I don't know what I had been expecting, but this immediate acceptance and distinct lack of curiosity wasn't it.

"Um…ok." I shuffled my feet awkwardly.

"Spit it out, twerp."

"Um, well I was wondering if you could help me learn my limits. You know, like you did when you trained me the first time." I looked up hopefully.

Orkan scratched his chin, considering the tree that I had felled. "I don't really know if I can." He said slowly. "There are plenty of training regimes that help you with control, but your case may be a little too extreme for that kind of thing…" I slumped and gave him my best puppy dog eyes and he sighed, turning his blue eyes to the sky. "I guess what we can do first is test the limits of your strength."

I perked up and gave him a huge smile. "I knew I could count on you!" I jumped forward and gave him a hug, being very careful to squeeze very lightly.

"Ack! Your breaking my ribs you damn brat!"

o-0-o

Five hours later I fell, finally, blessedly exhausted as I sat in the ruin I had created. We had moved into a canyon on the fringe of town to test my abilities where no one could get hurt and no one could see. Orkan and Barret had sat at the top of one of the cliffs to watch. It wasn't remotely helpful for them to be there, as they could only shout advice about what to destroy next (which they did with varying degrees of boyish excitement), but I felt comforted by my master's presence none-the-less. It was silly, I knew, but for some reason I felt that without my master's –permission? acceptance?– I could not truly test myself without fear. I guess I had just been feeling so out of control lately that what I really wanted was guidance, the feeling of someone watching over me as I tested my new wings. And when I finally had that, I was able to really let go.

The first thing I had done when we reached the canyon was punch a tree. Which was really fucking stupid, because although the tree had splintered and fell with a startling crack, the wood shards had pierced my skin and broke my hand. I screamed, but the pain only lasted for a few short seconds before I healed in a flash of red light. I stood there shaking. "Idiot," I said, rubbing my hand. So my healing powers were still powerful as well as my strength, but I didn't have super strong skin or anything. So, no punching hard stuff. I explained my predicament to Orkan and he nodded, seeming unfazed by my healing. He jogged back to the bar, which was only about a mile and a half away, and came back with a pair of iron gloves. I slipped them on, testing their weight. They were reinforced at the knuckles with rounded studs and they clasped around my wrists. I flexed them, feeling the give. The metal was acid green, like my tonfa, and on the iron plating on the back of the fist was a carving of Orkan's sign, the symbol of the hurricane. I rolled my eyes. God, that man was vain. I turned back to the canyon with a wild grin and did my best to do my master's name justice.

After a while, I truly began enjoying myself. I was just so strong! I felt unstoppable as I was stymied by nothing but the largest boulders and the strongest trees. It was exhilarating, and I laughed out loud as I was able to jump from one side of the cliff to another, as if I was flying.

I was shocked out of it, however, when I grabbed a branch and it shattered under my hand. I had a violent flashback of Mugear's expression as I had shattered his arm in a similar fashion. I dropped it in shock, my heart pounding, as I was reminded that I wasn't doing this for fun. I had to learn my limits so that I could control myself from something like that ever happening again. I grit my teeth and tore into the tree.

Several hours later I finally collapsed, tired for the first time since I had ingested the first red water. I smiled. Maybe I would be able to sleep if I just exhausted myself first. That would be nice.

Orkan and Barret jogged up to me. My master whistled low. "Wow, kid, you are some force of nature. Great show."

I snorted, too tired to respond.

"So, do you think you know your limits now?"

I shrugged, leaning back. The gloves clanked slightly. "I'm not one hundred percent confident, but it helped. Now that I know how much I can let go, I have to figure out how to hold back."

"Hm…well, that sounds like a problem for another day," he said, waving his hand in the air. "I'm starving."

Barret hummed in agreement. He glared down at me. "You're eating too, mutant. Two servings."

"Alright, mum," I said. He whacked me in the head, but I could feel that he was only amused.

I collapsed back onto the rock. "You two go, I'll catch up with you in a minute. I've got to catch my breath."

The two nodded and as one left me lying there on the ground. I sighed, content. I felt peaceful finally knowing my limits. Now I just needed control. My mind flashed back to Mustang's offer to train me. I would definitely be taking him up on that once I returned to Central.

I relaxed back onto the ground until my breathing evened out. I stared up into the darkening sky and with a sigh, I sat up. Time to head back…

I stood up…and then collapsed back down in agony when my chest stabbed painfully, causing me to completely lose my breath. I gasped and curled into a ball as crippling pain came in waves, as if someone had stabbed me in the chest and _twisted_.

"Aaannh," I groaned. For several seconds, I could only curl into myself and wait for it to pass. And then it did, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. I gasped deeply, fear curling it's way through me. That pain, it was incredible, even more intense than the pain of breaking my hand or being stabbed. It was deep, as if my heart was tearing itself apart. Was that something that I would have to deal with for the rest of my life? Or was I actually dying? What was happening to me…!?

It took a few minutes, but I was finally able to calm down as the pain faded into a memory. I sat up and pinched the bridge of my nose, breathing deeply. My breath hitched as the intense craving came back with a vengeance and I grit my teeth. I growled. What!? What did I need that would make it go away!? A hysterical laugh bubbled up within me. I knew this was going to drive me insane if I couldn't find some way to ease it.

I don't know how long I sat there after that, but the sun disappeared behind the canyon and the world was thrown into darkness. Stars peaked their way into the sky and the moon rose, casting me in it's pale light. I shivered and stood. Cold…I walked back to the bar slowly.

o-0-o

I opened the door and walked into the warm bar, squinting in the bright light. I was enveloped in warm air and the murmur of voices of customers enjoying the night. It wasn't a full house just yet, but there were enough people to make the place jingle merrily.

"Alex, you're back!" I smiled as I saw Fletcher waving at me from across the room. He ran over to me and gave me a swift hug. "We came over to see if you wanted to…" He cut himself off and pulled back, crinkling his nose. "Ugh, you stink! what have you been doing?" I chuckled weakly.

"I've been training. That's what I cam here for after all."

"Oh, right. Well, take a bath and come eat dinner with us!" He smiled brightly. "This place doesn't actually serve food, but Barret invited brother and I to eat with you guys. He was like–" at that point Fletcher stepped back and made a serious face and said in a blank voice, "–'Might as well join us. The kid will get insufferable otherwise'." I laughed at his imitation of Barret. "Hurry up!" he said before running off again. Man that kid had a lot of energy. I trudged up the stairs and found the bathroom, closing the door behind me. My smile dropped.

I gazed at myself in the mirror. Green eyes. My chest twinged and I grimaced. I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water distract me. It was going to be another long night…The festival was tomorrow. Perhaps, with my friends surrounding me, I would feel a little more cheerful in the morning.

I would endure until I could finish my purpose here. Then I would get back to my brothers and figure out what the hell was going on. Some vacation this was turning out to be. No matter how far I ran, trouble seemed to find me. _Of course,_ I thought despairingly, _because you can't outrun yourself. Idiot._

 _And back to the drama. Ah, well, it couldn't last forever. That's alright, cuz I like drama too. Yay, Alex is super strong and starting to accept it! But what is with this intense pain and craving? Not telling. But you guys are smart, so you've probably figured it out by now._

 _Thanks for sending your love! I can't get by without it. No really, I would have stopped a long time ago if I thought you guys weren't interested anymore. So thank you, and please continue to support me!_

 _Next Chapter: Pleasure, pain, truth and Lust._


	36. Chapter 36

The day began with me watching the sunrise…again. I was really starting to miss television when the only things to do at night were read (which I hated to do) or watch the sky change color. I had to find something to occupy myself or I really would go insane.

At the moment I was sitting on top of the Plaid Skirt, the shingling rough beneath me. The way I was constantly watching the sunrise was strongly reminding me of a movie I once saw back in my world. In it, there was a race of people who always took the time to watch the dawn. I brought my hand to my ear, checking for points. Nope. Damn, that would have been cool…

By the time the sun was a tenth of the way into the sky, I could see from my vantage point that the town was already bustling with activity. Booths lined the streets in the center of town and people buzzed around them, preparing for the festival that would last all day and late into the night. Despite my tension, I was looking forward to it.

The sky was still pinkish when I spied the Tringhams walking towards the bar. Well, Russel was walking, his hands tucked into his pockets. Fletcher looked like he was bouncing in excitement, and the second they rounded the corner he broke into a run. I smiled. Was he really only a couple years younger than Russel? Fletcher ran into the bar and Russel followed calmly. I knew they were looking for me so we could prepare for the festival together. The people of this town had a tradition of dressing in brightly colored clothes for this celebration, which celebrated both the ending of a year and the hope of a plentiful spring. Fletcher had shown me his costume the night before. Russel had hinted that they had bought a costume for me as well, and I was looking forward to seeing it.

The younger boy started calling my name, and I smiled in amusement. I wondered how long it would take them to find me up here. About a minute, as it turned out. Barret must have given me away.

"Alex!" Fletcher poked his head out of the window underneath me to my left and smiled when he saw me. He grabbed ahold of the edge of the roof and pulled himself up, sitting down beside me.

"What are you doing up here?"

"Red sunrise," I said mysteriously. "Blood has been spilled this night." I crossed my arms and looked grim.

Fletcher paled and looked between me and the red ball that was the rising sun. "What! How do you know?"

I held my serious expression for a few seconds, but couldn't keep it up for long. I broke into a grin and chuckled at his expression. "Nothing, nothing, I'm just messing with you." He was such a gullible kid.

Fletcher flushed and punched me lightly on the arm. "Jerk." He stood and smiled again a second later, already over it. "Come on, I want to see you in your costume!"

The costume consisted of brightly colored swaths of cloth that would be worn over your regular clothes. They were usually decorated with flowers or plants to resemble the spring, which I found amusingly ironic. They almost looked like robes or kimono, but they hung open in the front and came to a point at the mid-knee. Russel had already slipped his on as Fletcher and I were entering the room. He turned his back to us, the loose open sleeves fluttering a bit, and showed off the beautiful flower pattern that graced his back in colors of bright blue, red and deep green. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful," I commented, setting my hand on my hip and leaning forward, admiring it. Fletcher rushed over to his own bag and pulled out a similar garment, although his was bright orange and yellow, with little blue highlights.

"Wow," I said, taking them both in together. If I thought they looked good in plain clothes, these costumes made them really sparkle. The two brothers grinned at each other and pulled out a third garment, holding it between them with identical smiles.

I smiled hugely. "Is that for me!?" They extended it out to me and I took it reverently. It was a deep scarlet decorated with a subtle patterning of large rouge flowers lined with black bands. I ran my hand over it, feeling the ridges where the pattern was inlayed. It felt like silk underneath my hands and I immediately slipped it over my shoulders, spinning and feeling it flutter about me dramatically. "Thank you so much!"

Russel smirked smugly and Fletcher blushed, scratching the back of his head and avoiding my eyes.

"It looks good on you," the younger boy said.

"Heh, thanks," I said, greatly cheered. I had seen how expensive these were, and had forsaken buying one for myself since I had very limited funds until I returned to my brothers. My eyes watered a bit, touched that they had thought of me while buying their own. "I'll treasure it."

Fletcher perked up and looped his arm around mine. "Come on, let's go!"

"You weren't planning to leave me behind were you?" A voice stopped us as we were about to leave the room. We turned to find Barret, dressed in his own costume and crossing his arms. His robe was plain green, decorated only with a light shine. With his sword latched at his hip, he looked like some kind of elf warrior, especially since he wore his usual serious expression.

"Barret," I said surprised. "I would have thought you would want to hang out with your father today."

Barret gave me a look. "I'm not here to visit. I'm here to be your body guard, or have you forgotten?"

"Oooooh, right. I actually forgot about that."

Barret grumbled but the four of us left together, walking out into the crisp day and heading towards the center of town, where we could already hear music playing. We turned a corner…and walked into a fairyland.

The festival was everything I anticipated and more. The usual gray streets and dull buildings were lavishly decorated with colorful lights and banners. The people were likewise illuminated in their bright robes, making the dull cobble stone street look like it was covered in a field of vibrant flowers. Booths lined the streets selling all sorts of wares from jewelry to costumes to delicious smelling food. I could almost forget the pain in my body as I took in the many sights and sounds, the streets already filled with brightly dressed and smiling people, despite the early morning hour.

We wandered the streets for a few hours, Fletcher running excitedly from booth to booth. The atmosphere was positively infectious, especially for me, as every person who brushed against me walking by in the crowded streets imparted some of their own merriment through my open link. Usually I might have been annoyed by this, but I couldn't bring myself to be bothered. I was trying to have fun after all.

We passed by a booth selling goods that looked oriental, and I paused, admiring the bright colors. Gorgeous hair ornaments and elegant fans lined the counter and a eastern looking woman sat behind it with an inviting smile. A jade hair ornament caught my eye, and I picked it up to examine it. It was a long black stick with a jade dragon intricately carved on the end, and wrapped around it were two shimmering string bands that hung from the tiny dragon's claws, hanging down and sporting two more jade beads that clinked as I moved it. I admired the craftsmanship, thinking that it looked a little bit like Jäger. The little guy was huddled pathetically in my bag at Orkan's. I wish I could have brought him, but it was too cold for him.

"Ah, you have excellent taste, _mĕinánz_ ," the oriental woman said from behind the counter, giving me a salesman smile. She was a beautiful woman in her twenties with long black hair that she bound intricately in braids around her head, leaving the rest to hang loose down her shoulders. She had charming smile that would have made my heart skip if I had been interested in women. "That pin sports the finest jade that can be found in the Xingese Empire. Are you looking or a present for a lady friend?" She glanced me up and down. "Or perhaps for yourself? The jade would match your eyes splendidly."

"Oh," I sighed. "No thank you. I'm afraid I'm pathetically low on funds." I gave her an apologetic smile and stroked the pretty ornament before setting it down. Her eyes fluttered.

"Aleeex!" Fletcher came up behind me and threw his arms around me exuberantly, causing me to stumble forward. "Alex, what's wrong? You're falling behind!" He looked down at the table. "Those are pretty. Do you want one?"

The saleswoman pounced before I could say a word and delicately lifted the pin I had been admiring. "He was looking at this one. Such a shame he could not afford it, as it would match his green eyes beautifully." She fluttered her black lashes at the unsuspecting youth hanging on my back and Fletcher blushed, smiling shyly.

"It's ok," I said quickly before Fletcher could fall for her charms. I started to pull him away from her seductive salesperson clutches. "I would look girly anyway."

"Eh? I thought you liked that kind of stuff!"

"Well, yeah but…just forget about it ok? Look! There's pies over there! Let's go get some!"

Fletcher gave me a thoughtful look before smiling brightly. "Yeah!"

We enjoyed the festival late into the day, listening to music, looking at wares, watching performances and eating as much sweets as we could fit into ourselves. Even Barret loosened up after a while, going so far as to smile when a passing performer placed a winter flower behind his ear. Around mid-day, the sky clouded and it began to snow, which set off a big cheer in the crowd. As the snow covered the streets, the colorful ceremonial robes which everyone wore looked even more bright in the silver light, giving everything a magical and surreal feeling.

Eventually the sun began to fall and everyone gathered into the large courtyard in the center of town where a dozen bonfires were being lit. A large stage was in the middle of the courtyard and a great cheer went through the crowd as the evening performers began to play. As one, it seemed, the townsfolk began to pair off and step into the open space of the yard. They bowed to each other and began a dance that it appeared everyone knew. Couples swung about each other, performing what looked to be simple steps that caused groups to weave in and out of the crowd. As the music climaxed, women were spun out of men's arms and partners were switched before the dance resumed. I smiled in delight. I had never seen anything like it. As the people spun, their robes flared out behind them and I finally saw part of the reason they were designed the way they were. As they spun it must have looked like flower petals weaving together from the sky.

Our group was not left out of the fun. As soon as the dance began, a gaggle of cheerful women snatched us up with delighted giggles, and before I could protest that I didn't know the dance I was thrown into the throng. At first I was incredibly nervous, as I was afraid I might hurt someone, but I found that as long as I remained relaxed it didn't seem to be a problem. The young woman who had chosen me for a partner only laughed as I stumbled a bit, but guided me through the steps, which turned out to be quite easy to learn. Soon enough I was weaving in and out and behind like I had been dancing these steps my whole life. The music climaxed and I spun the laughing lass out of my arms and immediately caught another one, this time an older gal.

Time began to blend together as we danced into the night, the song never seeming to end. At some point, I must have been mistaken for a woman because I was suddenly dancing with the gentlemen in the ladies' steps, which I actually found to be even more fun as men spun me about in an endless passing game. I must have danced with two dozen people when I ended up in Barret's grasp. His face was flushed and he gave me a smug grin. It occurred to me that, being a local, he must have been to many winter festivals in his hometown. I winked playfully before spinning out of his arms, immediately finding myself dancing with Russel. He looked at me with an expression of surprise. I grinned and shrugged. With a devious smile I suddenly switched our roles and began dancing the men's steps, forcing him to follow and causing him to laugh as he caught on to my game. Finally the song ended, and we came to a stop.

The crowd applauded as the dancers bowed to their partners, chests heaving from exertion but delighted smiles on every face. Russel grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd to the side. We couldn't see the others so we stumbled back into an ally along the back of the crowd and rested against the cool stone walls. I fanned myself, feeling hot even though the air was frigid. I had never experienced anything so fun. This was definitely a party to rival anything I had ever seen in my own world. It was magical.

I pulled my hair off of my neck and bound it higher on my head, allowing the sweat that had accumulated there to cool. Russel was leaning beside me against a wall, catching his breath with a big grin and watching the crowd to try and spot his younger brother. He turned and saw me messing with my hair, which had flown everywhere thanks to all the spinning, and stepped forward, pulling something out of his pocket.

He twirled the small object between his fingers with a smug look. I clinked. "A little birdie told me that you wanted a pretty hair pin."

I looked at the familiar jade pin, surprised. "Why, that little brat. He went back and bought it, didn't he?" I just knew he wouldn't be able to resist that pretty saleswoman.

Russel shrugged and tried to hand it over to me. I didn't take it. "Come on, I thought you liked this sort of thing."

"No way. I'd look like a girl," I said, even though I stared at it as he spun it around.

Russell rolled his eyes. "I hate to break it to you, Alex, but you are _wearing an earring._ Just take it." Still, I resisted, some part of me still clinging to the preconceptions of how I thought men should be. Russel sighed and forced me to turn around, ignoring my protest. He began weaving my hair clumsily and I held still with a blush. "The people who matter don't care about how you want to be, Alex. You don't have to hold back. Not around us."

Warmth blossomed in my chest as I felt his fingers, and his soft emotions, brush my neck. He really meant what he said. It reminded me vividly of something that Edward had once told me. A sharp pang of longing hit me as I thought of my brothers. God I missed them. As much as I was enjoying my time here, I really wanted to see them again. I felt homesick, even though we had no home. I smiled slightly to myself. My home in this world was with them. The blonde boy slipped the pin in my hair and I turned around, a bit glassy eyed. He smirked and flicked my forehead lightly.

"Be sure to thank Fletcher when we find him." He looked over his shoulder scanning the crowd. "Oh, look, I see your awkward bodyguard. Come on." He began to weave back through the crowd toward a black head of hair that I could just see peaking out over the people. I fingered the jade pin in my hair, my heart fluttering a bit, and began to follow him.

I didn't make it a single step. The air whooshed out of me as a sudden familiar agony gripped my chest, vacating my lungs of air and making lights flash behind my eyes. I fell back into the wall with a groan, every muscle in my body clenching painfully. I staggered further into the ally off the main square and doubled over, riding it out in waves. Eventually it stopped, but the craving I had been feeling intensified sharply, causing me to gasp. It was acutely painful now, and impossible to ignore. Nausea and dizziness gripped me and I promptly threw up everything I had eaten that day.

I heaved and moaned for several minutes until I had nothing left but bile to give. Slowly, as I calmed down, I became aware of a gentle touch rubbing the back of my neck with cool fingers. At first I ignored it, feeling soothed as my stomach settled.

"You poor thing," a woman's voice said. It was deep and husky, and startlingly familiar. I froze, ceasing to breathe. I would recognize that voice anywhere. I looked up, alarmed.

A woman was crouched by my side, _the_ woman, her long black hair waving gently over a deep purple robe, which obscured her usual black dress. It matched her violet eyes, which verily gleamed against the firelight behind her.

"It's you," I gasped. Suddenly I realized that I could not feel anything from her, even though the woman was touching my skin directly. It was if there was nothing there _to_ feel. It was as if she was empty.

The woman stroked my hair gently before standing and walking further into the ally, her heals clicking quietly agains the stone. "If you want answers, follow me."

I stared after her as she began to disappear into the shadows. I looked back over my shoulder into the bright light of the festival, where Russel had just disappeared and where Barret, the man who was sent to protect me, was waiting. Here, in this secluded spot, it felt so far away. Even sound was muted and silence seemed to encroach. I looked back into the darkness. The woman was watching me.

My chest twinged painfully and I groaned gritting my teeth.

This was my chance. Finally someone had come along that may have the answers I was seeking. This person, who was not all that she seemed, was finally offering those answers.

 _If you see that woman again, run._

Edward's voice flashed through my mind. I wavered for a moment, but then decided to ignore it. No, I didn't trust her. But I _needed_ to know. Had I not wished for this? For someone to come along and explain, and end all of the wondering? The fear?

What am I?

Why can I feel other's emotions?

What are these powers?

 _Why does it hurt?_

She could answer those questions, I could see it in her eyes. And even if she couldn't, even if this was just a trap, I had to try.

She stood, tall dark and beautiful across from me, looking like the most seductive creature of good or ill that had ever been witnessed. Would she save me from my suffering? Or would she sink in hidden teeth and destroy me? There was only one way to find out.

Without a backwards glance at the party behind me, I I lifted myself from the ground on trembling feet, stepping around the remains of my sickness, and followed her into the darkness, the shadows swallowing us both.

 _Here it comes, guys! The long awaited answers! I have had the next scene planned out for weeks, and it will be a nice little climax to this story arch. I can't wait to get started on it. I actually would have put it in this chapter, but I got really carried away describing the festival and it would have ended up being too long._

 _Next Chapter: the Explanation. Well, most of it. I still have to keep some secrets after all. Also a bit of gore, so I suggest you don't eat too much._

 _Continued AN for those that care:_

 _So, I was in a book store yesterday, browsing through the manga section which I haven't done in over five years, and I came across the entire FMA manga. I was like 'hey cool' because I had never actually looked at the manga. I picked up the third book or something and recognized the scene where Ed and Al find out what the PS is made of…and then I started banging my head on the bookshelf. I have written THIRTY SIX chapters, and they haven't yet gotten to a scene which happens at basically the BEGINNING OF THE SERIES._

 _So, as I was standing there being pointed at by small children and some grody looking nerd guys, I had an idea. What do you guys think about me making this a trilogy? I'm pretty sure I have enough content to write three books. This first one would end around the fifth lab, which is actually going to be a huge event where…well, you'll see. You guys have probably guessed what will happen (I mean, I've been obviously hinting at it forever). Anyway, let me know. Would you rather me break this monster up into three books or just continue writing until I get to the end? Just a warning, it will probably end up being round a hundred and fifty chapters._

 _P.S. The Xingese woman called Alex 'beautiful man' in Chinese. Mandarin, I think. If I'm completely off, just let me know._

 _Thanks for reviewing! Toodles!_


	37. Chapter 37

The world was a surreal blur around me as I walked through the quiet streets of Dublith. Most of the population was in the center of town, leaving the streets deserted and empty. The Woman walked in front of me, her heals clicking softly against the stone. My vision was blurred around the edges as the intensity of my craving consumed my chest in agony. I had figured it out; I had realized. It was the red stone. I had finally run out of the energy it had provided for me. Sick amusement coiled in my gut. It had taken an absurdly long time for me to make the connection. But it was obviously the reason. I had not taken anything in as sustenance besides the stone and a few bites of food, which no longer seemed able to sustain me.

We passed by a loudly jangling bar, the light and sound flashing in the corner of my vision, shattering in the quiet of the night, but I never took my eyes off The Woman. She was my entire focus, and even as I stumbled and drug my feet wearily, I did not let her from my sight. The noise and light faded behind us.

She has impeccable balance, I thought distractedly. I had never been able to walk in heels that tall without stumbling. Her figure was a dark graceful shadow before me, leading me further and further from the center of town. At last we walked past the last street of Dublith and into the sparse forest beyond.

It was still snowing, the soft white tufts floating past me, blurring against the night sky which obscured the heavens in gray cloud. It had been snowing long enough that the ground was covered in a thick layer of the stuff, some soft and some hardened into deadly patches of slick ice.

I slipped and cursed. I felt weak, weaker than I could ever remember feeling for a long time. Bile sat in the back of my throat, bitter and acrid, and it felt like a chore to bring air into my frozen lungs. Despite wearing several layers of clothing, the cold bit into me sharply, as if my body was no longer capable of regulating my temperature. Had I really just been dancing merrily in a crowd of happy people, spinning around and having the time of my life? Now I felt dead, as if all of the energy in my body was gone. Is this what death felt like? I supposed I would know, having died before. But as before had been violent and quick, now it felt as if I was losing my life slowly, every aching breath a sharp report of pain, as if my chest had never healed and was still a gaping cavity through the middle of my body.

I was falling behind now, The Woman a mere shadow flitting in and out of my vision, enhanced as it was. Even though the night was pitch dark, the only light coming from the lit town behind me, I could see as if it was mid-day. Still, the shadows seemed to conceal her, and I was suddenly afraid that I would be left out here alone, and that she would leave me even as she promised she would give me the answers I so desperately sought. My chest gave another fierce reprimand of pain and I stopped in my tracks, gasping and falling to one knee. The cold snow parted beneath me with a crunch.

"Enough," I gasped, clutching at my aching body and reaching out desperately to where The Woman had disappeared behind a tree. Silence met my plea and she did not return, and I was suddenly terrified that she had left me, painfully aware that I would not be able to move on my own for very much longer. I was beginning to wonder whether it would even matter if I got the answers I needed, if I was just going to drop down dead at any moment. I was suddenly reminded of the futility of all of this. If she gave me answers, what then? I didn't think anything could save me of this pain now…

I dropped my other knee to the ground and knelt in the snow, the rocks and ice digging into my legs, and curled my arms around myself, looking up into the sky. The snow landed gently on my heated face, cooling my fevered skin slightly. My breath misted as I exhaled. The night outside the city was completely silent, devoid of chattering wildlife in the frozen earth. Everything that thrived in the spring was asleep, only to awaken at the first touch of warmth. But that time was far away, and I sat shivering in the silence.

I heard footsteps in front of me, and I snapped my eyes down form the sky to find The Woman standing in front of me again. She looked at me with her shining eyes, and I could not make out anything that she might have been thinking. Her gaze was soft like the snow, and just as cold. She took a step closer and suddenly I was very afraid.

"Don't come any closer," I whispered, my voice breaking the quiet of the night. My voice sounded muted to my own ears, being absorbed into the forest without an echo. The Woman paused in her advance and considered me for a moment. She nodded and took a step back.

Questions crowded in my mind, clamoring for my attention in a jumbled mess of thought. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and demand answers until they were all sated, but I was just too weak to move. One question clamored above all others in that moment, _who are you what am I why does it hurt AM I DYING_ , and I opened my mouth to ask, but her voice broke over mine before I could make a sound.

"You foolish boy. You should not have taken any more red stone."

My mouth hung open in confusion, the questions I had sticking to the back of my throat, and a startled–strangled– laugh was emitted. "You were the one who gave me the red stone in the first place." My accusation hung in the air. She looked away from me, towards the ground beside her, and folded her arms delicately over her chest.

"Yes. Twice now."

"…Twice," I whispered in confusion. I cleared my throat, trying to make my weak voice louder. My chest twinged. "When was the second time?" Had she sought me when I was sleeping or unconscious to force feed it to me?

"Lior."

At first I did not know of what she spoke, but then an acidic and poisonous suspicion, one strong enough to take my breath away, squirmed through me like a coil of cold fear. It couldn't be…"You–" I coughed, "You were there. That night three years ago…"

"Oh yes. I was there." Her words were like a bucket of cold ice water down my spine, and I leaned forward, listening intently as I unexpectedly heard the story of my origin to this world. "I watched everything from start to finish. I watched as those foolish boys begged for a teacher. I watched them find those books and gather their little materials." She looked at the sky, her expression distant. "I was interested to see what they would accomplish. I expected some sort of failed attempt that would merely kill them both and destroy their little town, but some part of me hoped that another would be created."

"…Another." She meant me. My heart raced. She was there, she knew what I was. A small voice whispered a warning in the back of my mind, pleading with me to turn and run, to not hear the answers that would surely destroy me, but I ignored it ruthlessly.

She looked directly at me, her eyes flashing. Her red lips curled into a small smile. "Finally, after nearly a year of waiting and watching, I saw a bright flash of light and heard a scream, and there you were. The old woman tried to burry you, and I found you in the ground atop that hill. You were nearly dead, and I gave you life once again." Her teeth flashed. "A newborn homunculus."

Before I could ask, she continued in her smooth voice. She looked down at her own hand and her fingers extended slowly, ripping through her black gloves with a quiet tear.

"An artificially created human. We are what is created when foolish humans try to bring back the dead." Her voice became bitter. "They create us to fill the void that they have in their weak hearts, unable to accept that there is no solution to death. We are the human dolls, the substitutes for those that will never return."

The revelations were coming thick and fast now, and I was hardly able to keep up. She had been watching, and she was the reason that I was alive and not still in the hole where Pinako had buried me. I couldn't find it within myself to examine just how I felt about that or what it meant, so I focussed on what she said last. I felt…relieved, even as I heard the terrible truth of what I was. I finally had a name for my suffering, if not an adequate reason. Homunculus. The human doll.

"You said we," I whispered, even as I watched her fingers extend into spears before her.

"Yes," she said. "We." With a display of inhuman strength, she brought her hand down in a violent arch, destroying a tree behind her. I watched in awe. It was the same way she had killed Shou Tucker; by piercing his body with her spears.

"We are different. Stronger, faster." Better, was her unspoken word, but I could hear it even as she didn't say it. Her opinion was obvious. Even so, I couldn't help but think that even as she proclaimed to be better, some part of herself was as bitter as I was to not be human. Just like me, she was forced into a body that was the copy of someone else. But that was mere speculation, a feeling. I did not truly know.

Another sharp pain intruded, shattering my thoughts into splinters. I arched my back with a gasp and waited several seconds in agony for it to abate. The Woman waited patiently while my fit subsided. When it finally did, I leaned back and let my arms fall limp at my sides. "You said before that I was foolish to take the red stone. Why, when you gave it to me before?"

She sighed. "The red stone was initially developed to be a power source for us, something to sustain us. When homunculus were first created, we were nothing more than writhing creatures of ill formed torment to be left to die. At some point, it was discovered that if enough energy was given to those ill formed corpses they would develop into something alive, something powerful."

"Eventually, through much experimentation and many human sacrifices, our creator discovered the right recipe for the red stone that would not damage us, but would rather help us grow and develop stronger. That is, until we can receive our true power source. The heart of the homunculus."

My mind reeled as she finished her explanation, too many thoughts running through my head to even sort it out. The power source? The heart of the homunculus? And I did not miss the way she said _the_ creator, as if there was only one. I remained silent, overwhelmed.

She began to walk towards me. "But you had to go and take impure catalysts. Do you realize the damage you have done to yourself?"

"I'm starting to," I mumbled numbly, the pain in my body distracting. She said that there was a certain type of red stone homunculi had to take. So the stones I had been consuming…

"The red stone is not a secret. Alchemists across the country have created it to boost their transmutations, and as a result, the experimentation of it has caused the military to ban it, even as they develop it behind closed doors. But that has stopped no-one. In fact, we encourage it."

"You…encourage people to create the red stone? Don't you have any idea what that does to people?" I said sharply. My mind flashed back to the sickness I had seen in Xenotime, the suffering that that blasted red water had caused.

The woman smiled prettily and waved her hand, as if to say 'what's your point'. I growled. "Were you the one who 'encouraged' that lunatic in Xenotime to create the red water?"

The Woman put a delicate finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Ah, Xenotime. That foolish little insect Mugear was a complete failure. Even with the help of Tringham's brats he could not create a satisfactory red stone. He was too weak to make it biologically."

"You bitch," I gasped. My mind shied away from what she was implying: that he should have used a pregnant woman's natural condensing womb to create the stones. I remembered with vivid clarity the time Mugear had spoken of it. Did that mean that the stones that she had fed me before…? Bile rose in my throat and I gagged, but my stomach was still empty from my earlier sickness.

"Please, call me Lust," she smiled, unfazed by my anger.

"Wha…"

She began walking towards me slowly, her hips swaying seductively beneath her shimmering purple robe. "You are in pain because the red water and stones you have consumed outside of myself were impure artifacts, failures of the real thing made by incompetent alchemists." She unclenched her hand at her final words and a gleam of red caught my eye. Delicately clutched between her thumb and forefinger was a shimmering red stone.

My hunger spiked sharply and I cringed in pain, my eyes never leaving the gleaming, sinful and accursed gem. My mouth began to water and I lurched to my feet against my will.

Lust snatched back the stone, concealing it in her hand once more as I stumbled towards her with a groan. "Not so fast, little one." I halted, coming back to my senses in a rush. "Do you feel that craving? That is your body telling you that you are empty of your power source. That is your body telling you you are incomplete." She clicked her teeth in annoyance. "Because you have taken an impure catalyst, you briefly got the energy you needed, but at the same time the impurities have been building up in you like a poison." She stepped forward with a look of sympathy and I was suddenly reminded that we were in a secluded place where anything could be done to me and no one would witness it. I took a step back.

"That poison causes a powerful addiction that cannot be cured but by more poison. Your body will begin to break down without a proper power source and you will begin to lose your mind." She took another step forward and I slowly began to back away. Her face became sad. "It has happened to us before." Step. "One of us came upon a cache of impure red stones and consumed them, unable to control his nature despite my many warnings." Step. My heart pounded in fear at her words as I began to really understand what she as saying. "His mind and body were destroyed before we could provide him with a homunculus heart. He was never the same." Step. My back hit a tree, the rough bark digging into my skin, distracting me for a split second. It was all Lust needed.

Faster than I could react in my weakened state, the taller woman grabbed both of my limp hands and pressed them above my head. My eyes opened wide in surprise, and I tried to struggle, but I was in no shape to put up a fight, super strength or no. She squeezed her hand and I cried out, feeling the bones grind against on another, and fell limp, sliding down the tree slightly. She relaxed her grip but held me firm, supporting me as much as she was holding me captive.

Lust pressed her body in close, her ample chest brushing agains mine. My heart fluttered in my chest as I felt her body heat, realizing with painful clarity exactly how vulnerable I was. She stood over my trapped form, her hair creating a sheet of black that briefly obscured the rest of the world in my peripheral. Lust gave me a soft look, her violet eyes glimmering. Then she pressed her lips into my neck, causing my breath to hitch."You should have only taken the red stone from me." She whispered against my pulse. "Now I will have to undo the damage that has been done."

My heart grabbed onto her words with painful desperation, and I shut out all else. "Y-you can fix me? End this p-pain?" She pulled back slightly, running one of her small hands down my chest, the other still pinning me in place. I shivered as she began to slowly unbutton my jacket, exposing my chest to the cold winter air.

"Oh, yes. I was almost too late." She giggled lightly in her deep voice, "but it seems your luck has held."

She moved her hand to my newly bared skin and pressed lightly. I began to wonder just what she had in mind, when the pressure on my chest became uncomfortably harsh, and the air was knocked out of my lungs. I looked down, and was alarmed to see that she had pressed her fingers together into an unmistakable point. "W-wait, what are you doing," I gasped, even as the pressure increased.

"Shhh," she whispered, pressing her lips to the edge of my jaw. "Be still, love. I have to remove the impurity."

"N-no, stop," I whimpered as I felt the unmistakeable sensation of a knife being pressed between the apex of my ribs. My legs, which had begun to tremble violently, gave out and I slid to the ground, Lust following me and straddling my legs, holding me down even as she pressed her spear in further.

My bones cracked, and I screamed silently as the skin was broken on my chest and I was penetrated, her hand splitting me open agonizingly slowly. I struggled weakly, but I was only capable of a few aborted jerks that were more of animal instinct than a bid for escape. I was gripped in unimaginable torment as she literally dug her fingers into what felt like my heart. My vision spotted around the edges as shards of jagged fire gripped my entire being. I felt the warm liquid of my blood, pumped by my desperately beating heart, dribble down my stomach and into the snow, painting my pale skin and the pure white ice crimson. The agony lasted for eternity as I tried desperately to take hold of my sanity, which was fraying with each gentle thrust into my body. Incomprehensible sounds escaped my lips, even as I was unable to draw breath. Through it all, Lust's husky voice whispered consolations and comforts into my ear. She petted my hair gently with her other hand, which was no longer needed to hold me down, as I was too far gone to even struggle.

Eternity passed as my torment continued, even as it could only have taken a few minutes. Finally, Lust's hand came to a stop and gripped something within my chest, just behind the ruined protection of my ribs. "This will hurt," She whispered against my skin. Inside I laughed hysterically at the absurd statement, but outwardly I was only capable of a wet gurgle, blood trickling down my chin as it bubbled up from my bruised lungs. It was going to hurt more than it already did? Please kill me now…

She tugged gently, relentlessly, on the mass she had gotten ahold of, and it seemed as if my body did not want to give up whatever it was. She pulled and I was jerked forward, my head lolling back lifelessly. Spots danced before my eyes as I was barely registering the flashes of pain anymore. She jerked once, twice, an then I felt a terrible ripping within me before her hand was suddenly yanked back, out of the cavity of my chest.

I fell back agains the tree and slid down, a lifeless doll, as Lust inspected her hand, the appendage dripping with my blood. "Almost too late," she whispered to herself. Between her long fingers, steaming as the cold night air met my cooling blood, was an obsidian mass, jagged and vicious, about the size of my thumb. Bits of crimson flesh hung off of it, as if the malignant crystal had done it's very best to take as much of me with it as it could.

That was inside of me, I thought to myself numbly. That was what was hurting me…I closed my eyes. It no longer mattered. I was bleeding out swiftly, my warm blood leaving streaks down my body. My healing powers were nowhere to be found now that I didn't have the red stone to fuel me. I felt resigned but relieved, wishing for a swift end from the agony. I had found out what I was, but it had not mattered in the end…

I heard a sigh just as my vision began to go black. Something wet touched my lips and a small item was placed in between them. "Almost too late, but not quite."

At first nothing happened, but then I began to feel a distinct tingling around my heart that was not pain. The feeling spread, and my body began to spark red, lighting up the area surrounding us and causing Lust's eyes to flash crimson. The Woman leaned forward over me, her robes fluttering about her sides and concealing both of our bodies form the cold. She was smiling at me gently as my eyes were blown open wide and my chest was knit together. Soon there was no trace of the injury, and the tingling sensation turned to one of distinct pleasure as my energy returned in a rush of heat. I moaned and arched my back, my mind in shock of the combination of my abuse and the new sensations. Lust petted me softly through my convulsions, still straddling my hips and holding me down. I had fallen to the ground completely, my arms the only thing still attached to the tree where Lust had returned her hand to pin them. Not that I was of any mind to escape. No, the feelings flowing through me, healing every wound and every hurt and causing me to feel more alive than I had in days, gave me no desire to go anywhere.

I parted my wet lips and exhaled with a sigh, my mind still nowhere to be found as the sensations of my body took over. Twice more Lust fed me one of her pure red stones; created by despicable means, the sustenance of the homunculi and the substitution for the homunculus heart, the real power source. My mind was in a haze, and I barely heard her when she began speaking again.

"I have undone the damage this time, but do not consume the red stone again. I almost lost you, pet, the only one of us to survive that wasn't created by _him."_

She leaned down over me, her hair brushing my face gently and her heat comforting me in the freezing night. She kissed me on the corner of my mouth. "I will come for you when the time is right. I will be watching until I can give you your heart."

She pulled back and I looked at her blearily, missing her heat as the cold air touched my bare chest. My mind was blissfully blank. "These will sustain you for now. Give your brothers my love."

I blinked, and she was gone. The wind howled around me, and distantly I heard shouting from the direction of the town. I stared at the sky blankly, snow drifts landing gently on my face. They melted and ran down my cheeks like ice cold tears, cooling my heated skin. My ceremonial robe had spread around me, the red silk blending seamlessly with the blood pooled around my body. I wondered idly if I would ever get the stain out.

My consciousness tried to resurface, but I was pushing it back, shying away from the memories of what I had just experienced. I only wanted to focus on the sense of well-being the stones had gifted me with. Later I would remember, but for now, I tried to think of only what I had learned through my shocked haze.

Lust. The Homunculi. The creator. The impure stones. I had gotten my answers, although they made little sense to me in my current state. I was so very tired. I just wanted to _sleep_. Warm streaks of water fell down my face. They felt different from the ice I had felt before. I brought a trembling hand to my cheek, realizing with numb clarity that they were tears. My breath hitched in a trembling sob. I felt more alone now than I ever had in my life. I wanted…I needed…

"Edward…Alphonse…" I whispered into the oppressive dark. "Please, come save me. I want to see you." I laughed pathetically and mirthlessly, my newly formed lungs spewing out a bit more trapped blood. "I need to see you." I no longer cared that I wasn't human. I no longer cared that I was betrayed and I had hurt them. I wanted them here with me. I wanted to hear Edwards deep voice and feel his warm touch. I wanted to lean against Al's cool body and share his emotions. I wanted to go home. I wanted to sleep.

Finally, blessedly, I got my wish. I fell limp against the frozen ground, the blood drying and feeling sticky against my skin, and gave into darkness. Just before my consciousness was completely lost, a dark shadow fell over me and a shouting voice, vaguely familiar, called my name. I knew no more.

…

…

…

 _Hm. That was rather lustful, if I do say so myself. Why? Because it was Lust. And because having the characters hurt each other in a mimicry of passion is kind of beautiful. In a poetic way, not in real life. Please no impaling in real life (only the fun kind)._

 _I have a confession to make. Lust was one of my favorite characters in the series. I thought she was one of the most baddass bad guys. I always wished that she ended up being the main antagonist in the series, but if I remember correctly she dies pretty epically, which is cool too. In my story, she will play a huge role, if you haven't already figured that out for yourself. And oh-ho, she seems to have some plans for little Alex that even I wasn't expecting until I read the wiki page on the homunculus and realized that most of them were created by the same person. It seems that with every chapter I write I have to change my plans just a little bit to accommodate all the strange little twists I come up with._

 _And the homunculus heart? Three guesses what that is, and the last two don't count._

 _Next Chapter: Edward and Alphonse meet a certain doctor on their way to Resembool and discover a lead to their search. All that while being blinded by Armstrong's bare muscled chest. It's a wonder anyone gets anything done with that guy around…_

 _Continued AN for those that care…_

 _Thanks so much for your feedback on the trilogy idea. I've decided that…I don't want to decide yet. It depends on how resolved I can make the fifth lab feel for the story. If it leaves too many open ends it will feel like the story is incomplete. I hate it when authors IRL do that. I know I'm notorious for cliffhangers, but I don't want to do that too terribly much with the ending of a book. We'll see. You all had some great points pros and cons, so I'll have to decide carefully as I go along. I would one day like to print and bind this thing (for fun, and maybe to give to my friends for free), so it will eventually end up in three parts anyway, it's just a matter of whether I can pull it off online. And if it would be inconvenient for you guys which none of you seem too terribly concerned about._

 _Anyway, I'm rambling. It's time for the next arch, the last arch of the first part, to begin! Yay! I wouldn't be surprised if it took the next ten chapters to get through. We'll see. Tootles!_


	38. Chapter 38

"You're doing it again."

Alphonse nudged his older brother, who sat beside him on the train bench, with an elbow. Edward barely responded, his fair face set in a deep frown.

"Doing what," he mumbled, his gaze unfocused. The blond stared out the window, his eyes reflecting the passing countryside, but he was clearly looking internally.

"Brooding."

"Am not," was Edward's instant response. Alphonse mentally rolled his eyes. Ed had barely spoken for days, just seeming to think deeply about something with that broody frown of his. And it was getting on the Alphonse's nerves.

"What are you thinking about."

Edward shrugged. "I was just imagining what it would have been like if Alex had never been brought here. Would we have even left Resembool in the first place?"

Alphonse tilted his head a bit, trying to imagine it. "I don't know. I guess I've never thought about it. I think we would have, eventually. After all, it was Mustang who motivated us to leave."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." He shot a glance at his younger brother. "And then it would have just been you and me." Ed lifted his hand and waved it vaguely. "Do you think this whole journey we've taken would have been easier if it had just been us? I mean, he seems to have a talent for getting dangerous people interested in him."

"Pf, look who's talking." Alphonse considered his words for a moment. Then he shook his head. "I seriously doubt that. You and I get in plenty of trouble on our own."

Ed shrugged again, smiling a bit. "Yeah, you are probably right."

"It does feel a bit weird with just the two of us again, but now that I think of it, that's exactly how it was in the beginning." It was almost hard to remember a time when there had only been two Elrics, but back then, when they were growing up, going to school, and training with Izumi, it had only been the two.

"Heh, yeah, just us against the world. We were naive little kids back then, weren't we."

"Hm." Alphonse stared out the window as well, and the two fell into a comfortable silence once more. Armstrong walked back from his stride up and down the compartments, his self imposed patrol, and nodded to Alphonse before he resumed his seat across the aisle. Al nodded back to their temporary bodyguard and resumed his thoughts. Armstrong had been assigned to them until Scar could be captured, and despite Edward's protest, Al was a little grateful Mustang had sent him along with them. The boy shuddered to think of encountering Scar again. The whole experience had left a brand in his mind. Next time, one of them could really be killed. No, he did not want to experience that fear again.

Alphonse spared a thought for their other brother. He hoped wherever Alex was that he was doing alright. He would have made it to Dublith by now. Alphonse hoped he had found some kind of peace there, and that they would see him soon. Without him by their side, it was like there was a piece of both of them missing, throwing off the balance between them. It had put a strain on both Edward and Alphonse. But Alex promised he would meet them in Resembool, so all they could do was wait. He wondered idly if Alex was missing them as much as they were missing him.

Across from him, Edward slumped forward a bit in his seat, his head tilting against the glass and his eyes drooping. Al chuckled to himself. He was falling asleep again. It might have just been him, but Edward seemed to sleep a lot more than was strictly necessary.

"Brother, you're going to fall out of your seat."

Ed mumbled a bit and leaned back, letting his eyes fall closed. Al sighed at the awkward angle of his neck and was about to say something again when he realized that Ed was already asleep. Al grumbled a bit and rifled through Ed's bag, grabbing a small pillow before carefully placing it under the slumbering boy's head.

"I swear, sometimes I feel like a pet owner…" Al paused as he was leaning away and took a second look at Edward. A spike of worry went through him as he noticed that Edward's cheeks looked flushed and he was sweating under his collar.

"Major Armstrong," Al said, cursing his inability to feel when Alex wasn't around, "can you come over here for a second?"

The large man stood to his full height and walked the short distance across the aisle. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I think brother has a fever. Can you check for me?"

Armstrong nodded, placing a large hand over Ed's forehead. He pulled back a second later. "I'm afraid he does. Has he been taking the pain medication for his leg?"

"Well, yeah, I made sure of it," Al said, pulling out the bottle of pills the doctors had given his brother to help with the swelling around the embedded metal in his leg. The fight with Scar had left the blond's automail port badly bent, the metal grinding into his bone and muscle on the right side. The stubborn alchemist had not let the hospital tamper with it, despite what anyone insisted, so the hospital had given him medicine to help minimize the swelling and risk of infection. Al had diligently made sure that Ed had taken the medicine, knowing his brother's severe aversion to drugs that clouded his mind. Edward complained a lot but took the pills, even if it was with ill grace.

Armstrong nodded. "Perhaps it is not strong enough to handle the pain he is in. We should stop at the next town and get some fever medication. Otherwise he may be in danger."

Al glanced down at his brother worriedly. "I think you are right." Edward had not let on how much pain he was in this whole time, but it had been days since the fight, and Alphonse had seen the wound on the right side of his leg. It wasn't getting any better, that was for sure. Where his stump connected to his port there was a mottled purple bruise, swollen enough that it was split in several places, the gaps covered in thick scabs. If Alphonse had had a stomach, it might have made him ill to look at it. As it was, he could only be sympathetic and make sure Ed took his medication. Clearly that had not been enough.

Edward woke sometime later to the distinct feeling of floating. Ugh, it looked like he had passed out this time. Someone was carrying him. He laughed at himself internally. He was amazed he had lasted this long with that fever he had been feeling off and on since his battle with Scar. His leg port throbbed hotly, as it had every day since. He shivered. He was cold.

Ed felt he was lying uncomfortably on something hard, and he could hear Al clanking. He cracked his eyes open slightly and winced at the bright sunlight. He groaned.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed somewhere to his left.

Edward furrowed his brows, confused. Wasn't Alphonse carrying him? He opened his eyes…and looked straight up into Armstrong's yellow mustache.

"Gah!" Ed struggled when he realized who was carrying him, but his body felt weak. "Put me down!"

"Calm down, Elric," Armstrong said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "You have a fever. We are taking you to a local doctor to get medicine."

Ed collapsed back into Armstrong's arms with a grimace on his flushed face. "I'm fine, I can walk," he grouched, even as he fell limp. Damn, he had been so careful to hide his pain, and now his body was betraying him. He _hated_ to seem weak. He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He could take care of himself.

"Ed, you do realize you are saying that out loud," Alphonse said, sounding slightly amused through his worry.

Ed frowned. Maybe he was more out of it than he thought. He shook his head, willing away the dizziness. "Look, the sooner we get to Pinako, the sooner I can get better," he said, his voice slightly slurring.

"Resembool is still a day away," Armstrong said. "We need to break your fever."

Ed grumbled, but at least conceded that he did feel awful. His head throbbed hotly in time with his port, and he grit his teeth, closing his eyes once more. He could hear the bustle of people around them, and could feel their eyes on him. No doubt gawking at the weak injured kid who couldn't even walk. He bit his lip until he could taste his own blood.

The doctor's house was a small one. The small farming town didn't seem to have any formal hospital, seeming to rely on a few that had some rudimentary medical training. The man clearly worked several jobs, a farmer and a carpenter among them. The older man directed Armstrong to place Edward on a small cot where the major placed him gently.

"I'm afraid I'm not much of a doctor. I can help you with his fever, but this leg injury is beyond me." The man was in his late thirties with blond hair and kind brown eyes.

"And you are the only physician in this town," Armstrong inquired, a bit surprised.

The doctor's eyes turned a bit bitter. "This is a small town, sir. All of our doctors were drafted into the war about fourteen years ago. None returned." He began to examine Edward's wound a bit more closely, looking for infection. The boy bore it stoically, looking to the side in resignation. "There was one man who showed up about two years ago. He was an alchemist doctor, and a godsend."

"What happened to him," Alphonse said, suddenly interested.

The man glanced up, giving the suit of armor a strange look. "He disappeared about a month ago, unfortunately. Now all this town has is me."

"What was his name," Ed said, flinching slightly as the man poked at a particularly sensitive spot.

"Dr. Mauro."

Ed and Al exchanged a quick glance. An alchemist doctor named Mauro. It was too big a coincidence to pass up.

The doctor moved away and began to rummage through his supply cabinet.

Alphonse leaned down and whispered, "Do you think it could be Tim Marcoh?"

Ed's eyes narrowed. "I don't know. But there's only one way to find out."

Alphonse nodded. Armstrong looked at the two curiously, hearing the exchange.

The doctor returned and re-bandaged Edward's wound with a cooling salve and a pain reliever. Ed sighed in relief as the soothed his wounds somewhat. The doctor handed Armstrong a bottle of pills with strict instructions to give them to him every two hours until the fever breaks.

Before they left, Alphonse asked the man where Dr. Mauro used to live, and they were directed to a small house on the edge of town.

They stood on the stairs in front of the missing man's front door and Edward leaned heavily on Al's cool armor. He had insisted on coming, despite Alphonse's protest, and he refused to regret that decision now, even if his fever made him dizzy. They may very well have happened upon the dwelling place of the Crystal Alchemist, the man who had worked on the philosopher's stone and who had gone missing after the war. He didn't have time to be sick. Ed and Al nodded as one and Al pushed the door open. They stepped inside, Armstrong following behind closely.

It was empty, with no signs that anyone had lived there for a while. "So this is the house of the deserter Tim Marcoh," Armstrong said softly.

Ed didn't spare him a glance as he began to look around with interest from his place at Al's side. The house was one story, and small. Dust covered every surface and at first there were no obvious signs of a struggle. Edward took a few halting steps into the dark house on his prosthetic leg, completely ignoring the pain in his port to investigate. He walked to the dining room table and noted with interest that it was set as if someone had been eating. To the left was a dresser next to a hallway, which looked like it led to a bedroom. He started for it.

Alphonse walked into the middle of the living room, looking as well. He glanced back at Armstrong, who had not moved. "Did you know him?"

The large man shook his head. "Not personally. I only know that he was sent to assist us with the Ishvalan uprising. Rumor has it that he was so guilt ridden over what happened there that he deserted, taking with him a lot of confidential information."

"He was researching the philosopher's stone, right?"

"…Yes."

Alphonse nodded and walked towards a shelf on the far side of the room. He began to thumb through the books, looking for any clue as to whether this was really Dr. Marcoh's home. After a few minutes, he came across and recent looking picture. In it was an older man, his arms slung around two children, a boy and a girl. He had squinted eyes and black graying hair. He was smiling. Al held the picture up to Armstrong. "Is this him?"

Armstrong looked at it and nodded. "That's him, alright."

"Hey Al, I think I found something," Edward shouted from the other room. Alphonse stowed the photo in his armor and followed his brother into the adjacent bedroom. Ed was standing in the middle of what looked like a war zone. The room held a desk covered in scattered papers and a small bed with a lamp beside it. Papers and books were scattered around the floor as if they had been knocked off in a hurry. The bed bore a dark stain along the side, and on closer examination, there were deep gouges in the floor. Ed crouched down and brushed his hand over the holes. "These look familiar."

Al crouched down behind him. "You're right." Unpleasant images of a certain basement in Central flashed in his mind. They looked just like the gouges they saw behind Shou Tucker's body.

Edward nodded. "It looks like Alex's stalker has been here." Edward got up with an effort and rubbed his chin, his brow furrowed in thought. What interest would that woman have in Marcoh? Just what did she have to do with all of this? It seemed that no matter where they turned, she was somehow involved.

Finding nothing else of interest in the bedroom, the two boys rejoined Armstrong in the living room. "There has to be something here that can help us," Ed said, looking around. "Did you find any of his research?"

Al shook his head. "I did find this though. This is definitely Marcoh's house." He handed Edward the photograph. "Armstrong identified him." Edward felt a slight surge of excitement. It might be a long shot, but they might be able to find something here that would help them in their search with the philosopher's stone.

Edward examined the photo before handing it back with a nod. "Come on, let's take a closer look around. If he has any research here, we need to find it." Edward scanned the room carefully, looking for anything suspicious.

"What makes you think it's close by?" Armstrong asked, leaning against the wall.

Ed shook his head, running his hand along the bottom of a desk drawer looking for a hidden compartment. "I don't have any idea. My guess is that he's hidden it somewhere else, but we may be able to at least find a clue. He didn't want the military to have it obviously, so It's probably hidden and deeply encrypted somewhere." Ed stood up and rubbed his damp neck. His body ached…

"If that's the case, what makes you think you could find it?"

Ed smiled slightly. "Come on, major, give me some credit."

"Brother, I think I've found something," Al called from the other side of the room. He was crouching beside the wall and pointing at something on the floor. Ed limped over and knelt on his good knee. The dust was slightly disturbed there, as if…Ed brushed the dust aside and was gratified to see slight scuff marks on the floor.

"Good work, Al," he said. He ran his hand along the wall until he felt a slight catch in the smooth surface. With a click, as small door about the size of a cupboard swung open, the boys peered inside. "It's empty," Ed said, slightly disappointed.

"Not quite," Al said. He leaned forward and plucked a piece of paper off the bottom of the compartment. Ed leaned forward curiously as Al read it.

"What's it say."

"Central Library, 1st branch. It also says 'find the truth hidden within the truth'."

Armstrong came over to look as well. "What does it mean?"

Ed grabbed the paper and flipped it over. Nothing. "No idea. But we do know one thing: where the research is located." Ed smiled ferally, exposing his canines. "Let's go."

"Brother, I think you are forgetting something. We still need to get your automail repaired."

Ed grimaced. "Don't remind me." He stood up with effort, leaning against Alphonse for support. "The sooner the better. We need to meet up with Alex and get back to Central as soon as possible and follow up on this lead. Can we catch the next train?"

Armstrong consulted his watch. "I believe so," he looked up with a sparkle in his eye. "But we are going to have to run."

He began to stalk forward and Ed's eyes widened. He took a step back. "Oh, no, don't you DARE–oomph."

As if the teen weighed no more than a flower petal, Armstrong threw the shrieking blond over his broad shoulder like a pack of potatoes and began running out of the house. "Don't worry, young Elric! Alex Louise Armstrong will get you to the train station before the next train leaves, you can count on me!" He ran down the road with long prancing strides, causing Ed to bounce against his back absurdly.

"Major Armstrong, wait for me!"

"Aaaaagh, put me DOWN!"

o-0-o

In a decent sized home in the town of Resembool, a young woman hunched over a bench in a dark room. Her long blond hair was bound in a ponytail at the base of her neck and a handkerchief rested across her brow. She wore magnification goggles on her slim face, covering her blue eyes from view as she used a small wrench to piece together segments of metal on her desk, illuminated by a single lamp.

Winry Rockbell leaned back with a sigh as the two pieces finally came together. She wiped her forehead and set down her tools, feeling satisfied at a good day's work. The pieces of metal would soon be a functioning hand, given a few more hours, but her stomach was grumbling and she had been holed inside all day. She stood and groaned as her joints popped loudly in protest for long hours of sitting still.

As she left the room, she grabbed a small towel that was hanging beside the door. It was already filthy, but she used it anyway to remove the grease on her hands. It didn't help much, but the young woman's thoughts were elsewhere.

"That hand should be done in a few days…I should call the client…I wonder if there are any sandwiches in the fridge…"

She wandered into the kitchen, noting that the house was unusually quiet, absent of any mechanical noises. Pinako must have gone out, she mused. Otherwise she would hear the whirring of an electric drill at the very least.

The phone rang just as Winry was about to rummage the fridge for food. She sighed deeply, hoping that if it was a customer they could at least wait for the next day to have her start on something. Ever since the Elrics had left about two years ago, Winry had been training to take over Pinako's automail shop. She absolutely loved the work, and she was exceptional at it, but sometimes it could be demanding.

She picked up the phone, disregarding the grease stains on her hands. "Rockbell Automail. What can I do for you?"

A young man's voice sounded from the other end. "Excuse me," his voice was quiet and deep. Winry found it quite attractive. "Is this Pinako Rockbell?"

"No, my name is Winry Rockbell. Pinako has stepped out for a moment. Can I take a message?"

"Um," the young man coughed uncomfortably. "I'm afraid that it is rather important. I was told that Edward and Alphonse Elric were on their way to see a Mrs. Pinako to repair Edward's automail.

Winry tilted her head a bit. Edward needed repairs? Just what had he been getting up to lately? She supposed it had been a while since he had been fitted. She hoped it wasn't serious. "May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Russel Tringham. Are Ed and Al in Resembool yet?"

Winry blinked in surprise. "No, I didn't even have any idea they were coming. I haven't seen those three in over a year." And last time she had seen them, Alex had been in a coma and Ed hadn't told her why. Good times. "Wait, isn't Alex with them?"

"No, he's in Dublith with me and my brother. He said he came to see his master. I'm afraid I don't know much more than that." He sounded unsure, and worried about something. Winry got the distinct impression that he was holding something back.

"Oh, I see. Well, if Ed and Al are coming, I can give them a message for you," Winry said reassuringly.

"I'm not really sure…It's about Alex."

A niggling of worry made itself known to Winry and she frowned at his grave tone. "Did something happen? Is he okay?"

"Do you know the Elrics well?"

"Yeah, they're like family to me."

"Well, I suppose you can take a message for me, then. Something strange happened to Alex last night. He got separated from us and we found him an hour later in the snow…covered in blood."

 _Hey guys! Exams are over! Yay!_

 _Ed and Al found Marcoh's note! I have to confess, I've had this chapter written for a couple of days. But I didn't post it for a very important reason. It was practically a rewrite of episode six, and that just didn't sit well with me. It was boring to write and I'm sure it would have been even more boring to read, so…I rewrote it! Yup, Marcoh is already missing, but he managed to give Ed the same note he gave him last time. Is he alive? Is he dead? Who knows! Certainly not me. All we know is that Lust was involved. Heh heh, she is turning out to be a fabulous mastermind._

 _Tsss ouch, Ed's leg injury sounds bad. Yeah, Scar left him pretty banged up. Poor Ed. But it was a great excuse for him to find a doctor, and the rest was pretty easy to write. And Winry is back! Yay!_

 _Next chapter: Winry gets her wrench ready. Something is going down with those brothers and she does NOT like it._

 _Thanks for sending your love!_


	39. Chapter 39

It was a long walk from the train station at Resembool to Rockbell Automail. Alphonse's feet crunched dully on the dead grass along the road, Ed a slight weight on his back. Edward grunted softly in the back of his throat as every grating step sent a jolt of agony through his entire body. The patch-job that small town doctor had given him had amounted to little as every movement he made caused his bent port to grind against his bone. He thanked his dubious luck that the nerve connections hadn't been damaged, or the pain would have been tenfold. At least the man had done something for him; his fever was gone. Now there was nothing to dull the pain other than some mild painkillers. He had put up very minimal fight when Alphonse suggested he carried him. The discomfort had been getting worse and worse with every day that passed, and in the final stretch, Edward was reaching his limit.

"We are almost there," Alphonse said. "How are you doing?"

Edward didn't deign that with a response. He merely shifted against Al's back stoically. Instead, to distract himself from the pain, he voices something that had been bothering him since they left the last town.

"What do you think that woman wanted with Marcoh?" He had been thinking about it hard since they had left Marcoh's house. Edward found it very disturbing that she had been involved in another incident involving the possible death of an alchemist.

Alphonse considered a moment. "I have no idea. Probably the same thing she wanted from Tucker."

The blond looked to the side, using Al's helmet to block the cold wind somewhat. "The Crystal Alchemist and the Sewing Life Alchemist…just what was their connection? We thought in Central that she had been there to save Alex from Tucker, but what if that wasn't the case? What if she had been after Tucker for some reason?"

"I don't know…for all we know, it could just be a personal grudge."

"A grudge killing two high profile alchemists? I don't think so."

"Well, we don't know that Marcoh is dead. Just missing."

Edward frowned. "The blood in his room seems to indicate otherwise."

"And besides," Alphonse said, ignoring Ed's comment, "Scar is killing alchemists for a grudge."

"…I guess that's true."

"Do you think Scar and that woman are somehow connected?"

"I seriously hope not." Ed paused. "No, they can't be. Scar wanted Alex dead, and that woman seems to have an unhealthy fascination in him. Also, Scar _definitely_ wants me dead, and I don't seem to hold any interest to her. I think we are dealing with two very different motivations."

Armstrong, who had been listening silently the whole while, spoke up. "Who is this woman you keep referring to?"

Edward startled slightly, as if he had forgotten the major was there. He pursed his lips and considered the man striding beside them. "I'm not sure, exactly. I can't say we even know what she looks like. Only Alex has seen her."

"She's the woman who Alex says is responsible for the death of Shou Tucker," Al said. "We also found similar marks in Marcoh's bedroom."

"Hm…And that's all you know?"

"Well," Al tilted his head, "we do know that she is very beautiful and has a tattoo on her chest. Also, she gave Alex–"

"Al." Ed interrupted softly. He was beginning to think that they were telling the major a little too much. The less the military knew about Alex, the better. The only person he somewhat trusted in the military was Mustang, though he hated to admit it, and he wasn't even comfortable to speak of it to him.

"I see…" Armstrong said, as if not noticing the withholding of information. "I'm afraid that I can't add much to help you other than that the two were known to dabble in bio-alchemy. Even then, their research wasn't similar enough to connect them per-se. You have a difficult mystery it seems."

"Are you going to tell the military about Marcoh?" Al asked.

Armstrong shook his head. "No. I simply saw an empty house of a small town physician. I believe that is the business of the police, not the military."

"But wasn't he a deserter? Isn't that military business?" Ed said, a bit bemused.

Armstrong glanced at him with his piercing blue eyes and then looked forward. "There were many alchemists who could not deal with the outcome of the war that left the military. Marcoh did not have that option. He was too valuable. So he deserted. If he is found by the military, he will be executed."

Edward was about to say something, but held it back, taking in the older major's serious expression. Then, "You feel sympathy for him."

Armstrong closed his eyes briefly but did not respond. They walked in silence for several more minutes, only the rustle of the grass and Alphonse's solid footsteps to be heard. Edward glanced discreetly at the man traveling beside them and frowned in thought. Despite Armstrong's usual exuberant demeanor, Edward felt that he learned a new facet to the man. And maybe felt a bit of respect for him for defending Marcoh against his orders. Just a little.

"Ed, there it is," Al said a while later.

Edward slumped in relief when, sure enough, the Rockbell house was visible over the next rise. His ordeal was almost over. He gulped. The next part was going to be the most painful of all…

As they got closer, Ed could see a girl walk out of the house. Al waved with a small laugh. It was unmistakably Winry. Her long blond hair fluttered in the wind and she lifted a hand to hold back the few strands that weren't trapped by her headband. The other arm was wrapped about herself, fending off the cold in her light work uniform. Ed held back a slight blush. She had gotten taller again, and even prettier since he last saw her.

Edward grimaced, then steeled himself and waved to her. She lifted a hand but did not run up to meet them. He couldn't yet see her expression yet, but something felt a little…off.

"Huh, that's weird. Usually she would have thrown at least one wrench in my direction," Ed mumbled. The closer they got, the more Ed didn't like the tense line of her shoulders, or the grim look on her pretty face.

They stopped in front of the porch. Winry gave them a small smile. "Hi, Ed, Al." She frowned. "Is there something wrong with your leg, Ed? Is that why Al is carrying you?" She looked at Edward, only sparing a brief glance at their large military escort.

"Em, yeah," Ed said, laughing a bit nervously. "I kind of…broke it."

Winry narrowed her eyes with a deep frown, almost as if she had expected him to say something like that. She looked so grim, Ed was beginning to worry something had happened.

"Winry? Is something wrong?" Al asked, his voice concerned. He looked around. "Where is Aunty Pinako?"

For a brief moment, a flash of fear surged through Edward. Had something happened to Pinako?

Seeing the expression on Edward's face, Winry lifted her hands and gave him a small smile. "She's around here somewhere. I think she may have just stepped out to go to the market."

Al sighed in relief. "Oh, that's good. Then what's wrong? Are you feeling alright?" As the adrenaline faded and Edward calmed down, he began to examine the girl more closely. She had slight shadows under her eyes and her fair brow was uncharacteristically furrowed, as if she had been worrying about something.

Winry remained silent for a second, and then glanced at Edward. She flashed a smile. "It's nothing. Let me take a look at your leg first, then we can talk." She gestured the three inside and walked into the house.

With a worried exchange of glances, the two brothers followed her inside. Armstrong held back. "If you two don't mind, I will remain out here until Miss Pinako returns."

Ed gave a distracted nod, and the two left him on the porch.

Alphonse followed Winry into the living room and carefully set his brother on the couch. Winry watched, her face going through a range of expressions before falling blank.

"Um…Ed? Where is your leg?" She was staring at his temporary prosthetic.

Carefully, Edward settled back onto the couch and warily watched his old friend and mechanic. "I told you, I broke it." He watched her hands for any kind of twitching. If she went for a wrench, he swore he would throw himself out a window.

Winry's expression did not change. She looked up slightly. "Um..Ed? Where is your arm?"

Ed began to sweat a bit under the collar. "I…kind of broke that too."

The girl looked up at Al, her expression still scarily blank. Al shifted nervously. "I have them." He opened the front hinge of his armor and pulled out a box. He placed it on the table.

Carefully, Winry opened it and peered inside. Her face contorted and she turned the box over, dumping the scattered pieces of Edward's automail onto the table and floor.

She turned to Edward with a beatific smile. Ed flinched back badly. "Oh, Edward? I thought you said you broke it, not _shattered it into a million pieces_." Her teeth were gritted together, making her sweet tone sound strained.

Edward gulped audibly and lifted a placating hand. "It wasn't my fault! You see, there was this guy and I had to fight him and things got a little out of hand!"

Her shoulders began to shake and Ed rambled on quickly. "I really didn't have a choice, he kind of attacked us–Oh but it wasn't that bad really–" Ed backtracked quickly, trying to downplay it. Winry twitched and he sat back with a meep, expecting an explosion.

It never came. But what did scared Edward even more.

Winry walked around the table and leaned over Edward, giving him a fierce hug. Edward stared over her shoulder, completely bewildered. "Winry?" She was shaking against him and he put his one hand around her tense shoulders.

Winry reached out, and without letting go of Edward, placed her hand on Alphonse's armor and gripped it fiercely.

Her voice shook and she hid her face. "I don't see you for a year and you get into fights and who knows what and come back to me in pieces? And you get into so much trouble you need a bodyguard? Just what have you three been getting into?"

Edward tensed and pulled back, looking into her face. Her eyes were red, but she was holding back her tears. "How did you know we needed bodyguards?"

Winry shook her head. "Later. Did you get hurt?"

Ed hesitated, then nodded. She stepped back and he gingerly rolled up his pant leg, revealing the damaged port. Winry's jaw dropped when she saw the damage.

"EDWARD ELRIC!" She shouted. "How long have you been walking around like this?! Couldn't someone in Central have removed this for you!?"

Ed grimaced at her screeching tone. He set his jaw in a stubborn line. "There was no way I was going to let anyone but you and Pinako tamper with my automail."

The fuming girl's eyes widened. "You idiot! Do you have any idea what that metal is doing to you? The port could have been rebuilt and reattached!"

"I don't trust anyone else!" Ed's sudden shout rang through the room, cutting off the girl's rant.

Winry's voice stuck in her throat, not sure exactly how to respond to that. Silence hung in the room for a moment as her feelings conflicted. Should she be extremely flattered or just extremely in awe of his stupidity? The exasperated young woman supposed she shouldn't be surprised. It was just so Edward to be concerned about something like that when his leg was literally about to fall off. She sighed deeply, taking a calming breath and letting go of her anger. "Idiot." The boy looked away stubbornly. "Come on, let's get you to the operating room."

"Joy," the unrepentant teen grumbled as Winry and Alphonse supported him on either side.

Winry guided them to the operating room, thinking furiously. She had never seen a port so badly damaged, and she wouldn't be surprised if she really did have to rebuild it from scratch. Her heart went out to Edward. The young mechanic would have to remove it from his bone and muscle and then reattach the new equipment to his nerves. It was going to be incredibly painful, almost as painful as the first time he had the port attached three years ago. She hoped Pinako would return soon so the old woman could take charge of this. Winry didn't have nearly enough training to do this kind of surgery on her own.

"You do realize," Winry said as she guided Edward down on the cot, "that I won't be able to attach the new leg until this is healed."

Edward grimaced. "I was afraid of that."

"Yeah, well, next time don't get this badly hurt," she snapped.

"How long do you think it will take," Alphonse said from his seat on the other side of the cot.

The young woman placed her hands on her slim hips and leaned back. "Well, I'll have to rebuild both the arm, leg and port, so…about a week with me and grandma working all day and night."

"A week?!" Ed exclaimed. "We don't have that kind of time!" Winry bristled in anger at his tone, and opened her mouth to retort, when she was interrupted.

"Four days," a voice came from the side and the arguing teens looked over to find Pinako standing in the doorway, her small stature hardly filling the space. "We can rebuild them in four days."

Even as Winry felt relief at her grandmother's appearance, apprehension gripped her at her words. "Four days!? Are you insane?"

"Hush girl, I know what I'm talking about," Pinako snapped. The old woman looked over at Edward. "Wow, shorty, it looks like you've done a number on yourself this time."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT–ouch!" Ed held his head as he received a sharp hit on the head from the old woman.

"Quit complaining, you damn brat." Her voice softened and she smiled slightly. "Welcome home."

Edward and Alphonse exchanged a glance. Both boys felt warmth touch them at her words. "…Yeah," Al said softly.

Pinako examined the damaged leg carefully, poking at the inflamed flesh and jagged metal with gentle prods. She pulled back and gripped her ever present pipe. "Winry," she said sharply.

"Yes ma'am," the girl snapped to attention at her commanding voice.

"Get ready. This is going to be a long night."

o-0-o

Alphonse stepped outside into the quiet winter afternoon, softly closing the front door behind him. He had been thrown out under no uncertain terms after Edward had been put under for the procedure.

He nodded to Armstrong and sat on a bench with a clank. The boy clenched his hands into fists and stared down at them. It was times like these that he did not envy Edward his flesh body. And yet even as he had that thought he wished desperately that he could go in there and bear some of Edward's pain for him, even if it is just a little. He shouldn't be suffering like this. It wasn't fair.

"How is he," Armstrong asked softly from the bench where he sat.

Alphonse stared out into the empty countryside, a light brown in the winter months. "They are beginning the operation now," he responded just as quietly.

The major nodded and folded his arms across his considerable chest, looking out as well. "Will he recover completely?"

"Yes, he'll be alright. They'll take care of him." Alphonse spoke with conviction, but inside he was roiling with turmoil. He hated to see his brother beaten down like that. With bitterness, he thought about how he could do nothing to help. He felt useless. And frustrated. It reminded him vividly of how badly his older brother was hurt when they tried to bring their mother back, and he shuddered at the resurfaced memories.

They sat for a couple of hours in silence, both painfully aware of the battle that was going on inside. Alphonse continued to remind himself that Edward was not dying. His life was in no danger. But no matter how he tried to reassure himself, he couldn't shake off the fear.

Armstrong suddenly stood, breaking Alphonse out of his thoughts.

"Major?"

"Someone is coming down the road," Armstrong said.

Alphonse stood as well and stared down the dirt road leading to the station. Sure enough, two figures were walking towards them, one tall and one slightly shorter. It was a bit hard to make out because of the sun shining behind them, so Alphonse could barely see their faces.

"Wait, is that…"

"It's Alex," Armstrong exclaimed.

First disbelief, then excitement surged within Alphonse and he jumped off the porch, waving wildly. His armor clanked as he waved his arm vigorously, feeling elated despite the current circumstances. He was back! Alex had come back to them! After days of separation and anxiety, their wayward brother had returned.

 _Hi! Me again. Yeah, I have a little more time to write now that it's the holidays, so yay! I understand that a great deal of you are taking your final exams right now, so sorry for spamming your inbox, but you know, got to write them while I can._

 _So Winry got the low down from Russel last chapter and she is very worried. But wait, Alex is back? Just what happened to him?!_

 _Next chapter: Edward recovers, we see a reunion, and then there is a lot of bush beating on all parties. Erm, beating around the bush. Yeah._

 _Thanks to those of you that have taken the time to R and R despite your busy schedules! I really appreciate it!_

 _Continued AN for those that care…_

 _I've decided to break this into three books but leave them in the same story. I'm going to call them:_

 _Substitute Soul Trilogy_

 _Book 1: Deliverance_

 _Book 2: Divergence_

 _Book 3: Dissonance_

 _I might change my mind again, but that's the plan for now. I'm going to go back to chapter one and put the first title in there and then give a thorough recap at the end of book one before starting the next one. Then I'll continue to post in the same story under the title of book 2. Make sense? I hope that's an acceptable compromise for everyone._

 _Toodles!_


	40. Chapter 40

Eyes downcast, I walked. Just another step. Just one more. And then another. It was a mantra in my mind. _Just another step._

I was walking down familiar dirt rode. The grass was dead under my feet in the winter wind, the snow having not yet reached this little farming town. I saw the ground incredible detail, more detail than I could process. Not that I had any brainpower to process anything other than putting one foot in front of the other.

Grass crunched dully beside me, my silent bodyguard a shadow in my peripheral. I had not spoken to Barret…or anyone since I woke up in the snow, Fletcher's crying face the first thing I saw. His hands were covered with blood, my blood, and he was shaking my shoulders desperately. He called my name, but I didn't understand. And then…I did.

Memories had flooded my mind in a rush of adrenaline and…I'm ashamed to say I lost it. I broke down in his arms and cried like I had not cried since coming to this world. It was as if every bad experience, every bit of pain and horrible thing I saw came out in a flood of grief and fear. It was…awful. That was how Russel and Barret found us. Upon seeing my state, Barret tore the clearing apart, but found no trace that anyone besides myself had been there. Russel managed to get me and Fletcher to our feet and we made it back to their hotel room.

I left as soon as the sun rose a couple hours later. They tried to ask me what happened, but I wouldn't speak. They tried to come with me, but I wouldn't let them. Only a silent Barret would not be swayed, escorting me to the station and staying by my side like a stubborn bloodhound.

Before the train could leave, Fletcher stopped me from boarding. "Alex," he whispered, trying to catch my eye. I wouldn't look at him. "Alex," he said softly, hurt and worry clear in his voice. "Please, just stay safe."

I brought my eyes up to meet his…and then forced them back down.

"I will," I said haltingly. Russel walked up beside his brother. Gently, he lifted my chin, forcing me to look up. I took in both of them, both boys' expressions worried.

"Promise," Russel said in his husky voice. They both wore identical frowns. "Promise we will see you again."

I stepped back, breaking both eye contact and my link to his emotions. I felt sick to my stomach. "I can't." I didn't know what would happen, but I could feel this all coming to a head, as if something unstoppable was going to happen that would change everything. And I was afraid.

I left. All I knew was, I had to get back to my birth place in this world. I had to get back to the only people who could make any sense of what was going on and maybe find a clue to what actually happened three years ago, the night Edward and Alphonse tried to bring back their mother. I needed to see my brothers.

Jäger shifted in my bag and I pet it softly, bringing myself back to the present. I didn't want to dwell on what happened. I didn't want to remember anything. But I was going to have to relive every horrible moment of it when I reached Pinako's house, because this time I was going to tell my brothers every detail. I had learned my lesson. I wasn't keeping anything from them any longer.

"We are here," Barret said from behind me. I nodded my head and continued walking, not bothering to look up. Then I heard Alphonse calling my name, and I froze where I was.

"Alphonse," I said softly. Five days. It had only been five days since I last saw my little brother. And everything had changed. I had screamed at them, hurt them, destroyed our trust. And yet, there he was, waving and running towards me as if he had actually missed me, as if I had not done anything wrong.

As he got closer, my heart began pounding erratically in my chest, and I had to hold back the urge to run from this place and never look back. But I stood my ground, because despite my fear, I wanted to see him with a painful desperation. I wanted to be home.

He stopped in front of me and my eyes fell to the ground again before he could see them.

"Alex?" His voice sounded so very young, younger even than the last time I had heard it only a week ago. Did he always sound so young? My voice had deepened these past three years, so we no longer sounded identical. Just how had that happened without me noticing?

"Alex, please look at me," Alphonse pleaded. He reached out a hand, but I stepped back swiftly and held up my own.

"Wait." Alphonse paused.

"What's wrong, Alex? Have you…have you not forgiven us yet?" His voice sounded hurt, but there was a slight resignation to it, as if some part of him expected me to say that I had not.

Horror filled me at his soft question. "No," I gasped. "Of course I forgive you. I was the one who did something unforgivable!" My gaze was still glued to the ground. I shook my head but could not force myself to look him in the eye.

"Then why won't you look at me? We forgave you a long time ago. There was nothing to forgive."

My vision grew blurry first disbelief, and then profound relief surged through me at his words. They forgave me. They _forgave_ me..! A tremulous smile came over my face, and I let out a small huff of relief. I guess I never really expected them to hold a grudge. It just wasn't there way. But that had not kept me from being so very afraid that they would never forgive me.

"Alex?" Alphonse took another step forward and I lifted my hand once more to stop him, my smile dropping abruptly. I had to show him. It wasn't like I could hide it, no matter how much I irrationally feared he would think I was disgusting. I took a deep breath…and looked straight into his eyes.

Alphonse gasped. I held his gaze with effort as he examined me, and bit my lip.

"Your eyes…they're purple."

I nodded.

"Did…we do that?"

I shook my head, a lump forming in my throat. " _She_ found me." A shocked silence fell between us, and I knew he knew exactly what I meant. I opened my mouth to say more, but no words came out. The tears slipped down my face and all I could make was a choked sob.

In one great stride, Alphonse took me gently into his arms, and with the contact, into his soul's embrace. I shuddered as his emotions washed over me like a balm, soothing my hurt with his worry and affection and protectiveness. I leaned my forehead into his cool armor and allowed him to comfort me as tears slid silently down my face. For the first time since before we were attacked by that lunatic in Central, I felt safe.

ox0xo

Barret watched the two brothers silently for a few moments, then slipped around them and headed towards the house. He stepped up to the porch and saluted major Armstrong with practiced ease.

"Sir."

"At ease, soldier," Armstrong responded as he took his eyes from the two embracing brothers in the yard.

"Sir, I have orders to deliver Alex Elric to Resembool safely and then to return immediately to Central."

Armstrong nodded, considering. "I take it by this reaction that something happened in Dublith."

Barret dropped his salute and answered without pause. "We were separated, and then he was attacked."

"Do you know by whom?" Armstrong said, his voice rising a bit in alarm.

Barret shook his head, debating on how much he should reveal. He knew Armstrong, and knew that he was trusted by both his commanding officer and colonel Mustang, but he had no idea just how much the major was privy to. He glanced over his shoulder. If this was handled badly, Alex could very well end up in unsavory hands. It had already happened once under his watch, and he didn't feel much like letting it happen again.

"Does this have anything to do with Alex's special circumstances," Armstrong prompted, sensing Barret's hesitation.

Barret turned and considered the man, his eyes narrowed slightly. "You were briefed on the matter?"

Armstrong nodded. "I was sent for the same reason you were."

The black haired man, finding no deceit in the major's eyes, strode up the stairs and sat beside Armstrong on the bench. Succinctly, and as accurately as he could, he told the major of the events that had transpired since they left for Dublith a week ago.

"…He hasn't spoken to me since that night."

"He didn't tell you who did it?"

"No."

Armstrong crossed his arms over his chest and stroked his mustache.

"I think I may know who was responsible."

"And who would that be, sir?"

The major did not answer. Instead, he grunted in the back of his throat and continued to stare into the countryside.

"Return to Central and tell Hughe's what you've found out. Be discreet. We don't want anyone of the wrong ilk getting ahold of this information. This is already way above our heads."

Barret nodded slowly. "The same to you, sir." The Lieutenant stood and put his hat on. He strode down the road, back towards the station, without a backwards glance to Alex. He would be safe here, and the man's thoughts were already immersed in what he had learned.

This was…troubling. If even a major said it was way over their heads, then this, whatever this was, was huge, and had deep roots in the military. A supposition based on what he said, but a likely one. Barret, as a natural investigator, knew when to put his nose down and when to stay the hell out of it. This was one of those times. He quickened his stride. He had a report to make, and Hughes was not going to like this.

ox0xo

I leaned back against Alphonse's cool armor, allowing my roiling emotions to calm. He had pulled me under a tree made me sit against him, projecting his calming emotions through me, just as he had in Xenotime all those months ago. Slowly, it was working, bringing me back from the edge of hysteria. I sincerely hoped that this wouldn't be needed often. I had thought myself stronger than this. As a man, I couldn't just keep breaking down every time someone asked me what happened.

"You know, you are the only one I want to connect to like this," I said, my voice evened out.

"What do you mean," Alphonse asked.

"Ever since I left Central, I have been able to feel everyone who came in contact with me. Not this clearly, but still…their souls intrude on my mind, and I have no idea how to stop it."

"…So, you're connecting with everyone like this?"

"No, thank god. It was only that first time when Edward touched me. That was just as clear as now…I don't project my emotions to them, but I feel what they feel…"

"So it faded after a while, just like last time?"

"Yeah, after about two days. My eyes went back to normal. What didn't fade was my strength and healing ability. I think those might be permanent now."

A complicated mixture of emotions flowed from Alphonse, chief among them remorse. "Alex, I'm–"

"No," I interrupted. "It wasn't your fault. You were just trying to save my life. I would be dead if it wasn't for you two." I closed my eyes and leaned back, absorbing the warm sunlight onto my skin. "None of us could have predicted what happened next."

"…What do you mean? Was there some other effect from the stone?"

"Yeah, I started to…wait, where is Edward," I looked around, confused. "He needs to hear this too."

A sudden stab of worry transferred to me from the boy behind me, and my own alarm spiked. I looked back at him. "Al? What is it? Is he hurt?" A dreadful though impinged on my mind and I grit my teeth. "Was it my fault? Did I hurt him that badly?!"

"NO, no, Alex, calm down!" Alphonse gripped my arms, as if he expected me to bolt. "It was Scar that hurt him. His port was badly damaged. He's just getting it replaced."

For several seconds my body buzzed with adrenaline, and I sat like a tightly wound spring about to go off, but Alphonse projected his calm over me like a soothing blanket. With some effort, I took a deep calming breath and relaxed myself as much as I could, leaning back into him.

As soon as I was capable of speech again, I apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm a little on edge."

"It's okay."

I slumped slightly, discouraged despite his words. I was beginning to think it wasn't. If I lost it in the state I was in now, I could seriously hurt someone. I needed to get a grip and get myself out of survival mode. Is this what post traumatic stress disorder was like? I really hoped I wasn't that far gone.

"If he's just getting his automail refitted, then why are you so worried," I asked, trying to distract myself from those troubling thoughts.

"I'm not really," he looked over to the house and I followed his gaze. "You weren't there the first time he was getting the procedure done. It is extremely painful to get automail fitted. They basically have to reopen the wounds and connect wires directly to his nerves. He has to be awake for it, so it's pretty intense. Also, Scar bent part of the metal into his leg, so it's been scraping against his bone for over a week."

"Ouch," I said. That did not sound like fun at all. "Why did you wait so long to get it fixed? Surely there are other doctors and mechanics in Central."

Al laughed slightly. "Brother wouldn't let anyone but Winry and Pinako tamper with his automail. Says he doesn't trust anyone else."

I shook my head in disbelief. "And I thought I had trust issues."

Al chuckled again, this time a bit more genuine. I pressed myself into him closer, sharing in his warmth. His easy going spirit was something I had missed greatly. Sensing my sudden contentment, Alphonse put an arm around me. "I missed you too," he said, warmth in his voice. "So tell me, your trip couldn't have been all bad. Did anything good happen?"

I smiled slightly against his chest. "Yeah, I met up with the Tringhams."

"Wait, Tringhams as in 'I want to finish our father's research no matter what it takes' Tringhams?"

"Heh, yeah. They turned out to be pretty nice guys once you get to know them."

"Um, my memories might have gotten a little hazy, but weren't they trying to kill us last time we met?"

"Well, yeah, but aren't most people trying to kill us the first time we meet?"

"Touche."

"Anyway, we ended up going in the same direction. We went to Dublith together, and then there was the festival…"

For a while we sat under the tree in the late afternoon and I told him about the good parts of my trip, leaving out the bad. I felt a little cheered to be reminded of the lighter parts of my journey. I pulled out a grouchy Jäger and showed him off, much to Alphonse's surprised exclamations. I showed him the hairpin and talked about the Tringhams–"and somehow Fletcher is three inches taller than me now! I can't wait to tell Ed,"–and shared funny stories about Barret,–"Wait, Orkan has a son?" "I know right?"–and soon enough I realized I had been talking for two hours. It felt good, really good, to talk like this with Alphonse again. I knew it had only been a week, but to me it felt like an eternity. I fell silent with a small smile on my face, looking out into the setting sun.

"Heh, it sounds like you had fun."

"…Yeah." I frowned, my smile dropping off my face slowly. "Listen, I need to talk to you both. When is Edward going to be done with his procedure? I have a lot to tell you." It was nice to talk about the lighter side, but until I could tell them about what happened, I wouldn't get release from the horrible tension built up within me. I needed their help to figure all of this out, and the longer I had to wait, the more wound up I became.

Alphonse sighed and looked over to the silent house. Armstrong was still sitting on the porch, watching the countryside vigilantly. But no one had come out yet. "I don't know…Maybe we should go check."

We stood, and with a shudder, I separated from him, falling back into the dark seclusion of my own mind. Instantly, negative emotions bombarded me once more, seeming to be all the stronger after hours of being held back by Alphonse's gentle soul. I grimaced but bore it stoically, all traces of my good mood gone. Alphonse watched me with concern but did not comment, gesturing for me to follow him to the house. We walked silently up the porch stairs.

As we passed major Armstrong, I smiled and nodded to him. "Armstrong. Thank you for watching over my brothers while I was away."

The older man grinned at me broadly, giving me a sparkling smile. "Of course! They were safe with me, young Elric!"

"Eh, right…" I chuckled slightly at the ever cheerful man before following Alphonse into the warm house.

I turned and shut the door behind me…and then was startled badly as a pair of warm arms grabbed me from behind.

"Alex!"

"GAH, Winry!?"

I turned around in her gripping embrace and was startled to see tears in her blue eyes. Her face was covered in grease stains and grit, and she had deep shadows under her eyes. I looked over at Alphonse helplessly, but he could only offer me a shrug. With a delicate but filthy hand, Winry brushed aside my bangs and placed her palm on my cheek. She looked between my purple eyes and then pulled me in close. "Oh, Alex, what happened to you? What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Winry, what's wrong?" I tried to push her back, feeling a bit besieged by her intense worry, but she would not let me go. She gripped me tighter, as if afraid I would turn into smoke and disappear.

"Russel called me…He said–he said–!"

Oh. OH. This was not good. She didn't know about any of this. Why would Russel do that? "Winry, please, calm down."

"No! He said you were c-covered in blood and that you wouldn't talk to anyone about it!"

"What!" Alphonse gasped. I groaned. This was not how I wanted to have this conversation. "Alex, is that true?!" He grabbed my arm, and suddenly I was channeling them both. I gasped as I was overwhelmed by both souls at once. Alphonse snatched his hand back when he saw my pained expression. "Sorry, sorry! But, Alex! What the heck!" He snapped his eyes to Winry. "Winry, is Ed awake yet?"

The girl nodded, her expression serious. "Yeah, he woke up a few minutes ago, I was just about to go get you."

"We need to talk. _Now._ " Alphonse pulled me away from Winry and strode toward the resting room. Winry followed behind us closely. "Wait!" She said, but Alphonse wasn't listening.

I inwardly panicked. Oh geez, oh geez, this was not going well. I had half a mind to send Russel a very angry postcard for being a meddlesome prick. On the back of a scenic picture of the Eastern Plains it would say 'Gee, Russel, thanks for calling my family and sending them into _absolute panic mode_. You're my bestest friend ever!'.

"Wait, Alphonse, he's not really–" Winry shouted worriedly.

Heedlessly, Alphonse slammed the door open. "Brother!" He stopped abruptly and I crashed into his back with a grunt. Instantly I could feel his emotions drop like a brick.

I peeked around his shoulder…and my heart sank.

Ed was lying limply on a bed. His hair was matted to his face, slick with sweat, and there were deep shadows under his eyes. He looked exhausted. And weak. Slowly, he turned his head towards the door. His golden eyes were blurred, as if he was barely aware of his surroundings. "Alphonse," he croaked, as if he had lost his voice.

His eyes shifted to me, and then it looked like he stopped breathing. "Alex…" I cringed at the sound of his ragged voice and stepped around our younger brother, still frozen in the doorway, and went to stand beside Edward's bed.

"Brother," I said softly, with a small smile. "You look like hell." I brought my hand to his face to brush his damp bangs aside, but paused before I touched his skin. What if the link between us hadn't faded? I might hurt him…I dropped my hand.

He grabbed it. I inhaled slightly as I felt his muted emotions wash through me. It was as if he was barely conscious. I placed my other hand over his abnormally hot one and leaned down. "I can still feel you…" he said, and my heart sank. I had been afraid of that. I tried to pull away, but he gripped me harder. "Alex…I'm sorry…"

"No, Ed, I…" his hand fell limp within mine and he slipped into unconsciousness. My words caught in my throat as his eyes slid closed.

A gentle hand pulled me back from him and Winry pushed me lightly towards the door. "He's very weak right now. The procedure was painful for him, and he needs to rest. You can talk to him in the morning."

The three of us stepped outside of the room and Winry quietly shut it behind us.

"Is he going to be alright?" Alphonse said worriedly.

Winry nodded. "His leg is nothing but raw nerve caps right now, and I will have to stay up all night to rebuild the new port. Then I will have to attach it. He might not be in any condition to talk seriously for at least another day."

My heart sank at her words. I hummed in resigned acceptance and grabbed Al's hand, leading him away from the door and out of the house.

"Alex, where are we going?"

"We need to go where this all began. There's something you have to know. We'll just have to fill Ed in later." I couldn't wait any more. What I now knew was burning in the back of my mind, and I had to find out if it was the truth or I would sincerely go crazy.

We stepped out into the cold night and headed for my birthplace: the house where Edward and Alphonse grew up.

 _Hello my loyal readers! Another chapter down. Number 40! Sheesh! I never thought I would make it this far, but here we are. So yeah, we found out a bit about what happened in the aftermath of Alex's attack. He's not doing so hot, and neither is Edward. But he can't wait anymore, so off to the family home they go!_

 _And Alex's empathy powers grow again! We'll find out what that's all about at the fifth lab. Wow, I am really building this up. It's going to be one hell of a finale for the first book when they finally get there._

 _To those of you that were wondering what Alex looked like, I finally got around to drawing a picture. Sorry about the poor quality, my scanner is broken and I had to use my phone camera. Anyway, that's what he looks like in my head! Hope you like him. I put it up as the cover image._

 _And shout out to lilaclily00 who drew me some awesome fan art! You are definitely my favorite person right now! It was spot on! Eventually I'm going to find a website to post all of the art for this story. Any suggestions?_

 _Next Chapter: Alex and Alphonse take an unpleasant walk down memory lane and find some clues as to what happened the fateful night Alex was born._

 _Thanks for sending your love! See you next time!_


	41. Chapter 41

The night was pitch dark with only a spattering of stars to illuminate the path, but neither Alphonse nor I noticed. Our enhanced vision guided us as though there was the brightest moon to light our way.

We were walking the short two miles between Winry's home and the Elric's family home. I was in no hurry to get there, so my strides were slow.

My voice and our footsteps were the only sounds in the quiet night. I told Alphonse everything, from the moment I left him and Edward till the moment Lust pierced me with her spear. I left nothing out, save what I had already told him, and my tale was depressingly dark with only the bad parts to still relate. Only my conversation with Mustang was skipped over. That was between me and him.

Alphonse never interrupted me, although I knew he dearly wanted to analyze everything I said. I'm glad he held back though, because I wasn't sure I wanted to figure anything out just yet, save the one thing I hoped we would find at the top of the next crest.

A few minutes after I told the entirety of my tale, I stopped at a seemingly random spot at the top of a hill. A short ways away, a dark house stood silent, but I ignored it in favor of staring at the ground beneath me.

Alphonse paused in his slow walk as well and looked at me questioningly. When I didn't move, he finally spoke. "You do realize that I will never let you out of my sight again, right?"

I laughed slightly. "That's what you said last time. And the time before that."

"My point exactly. You are a worse trouble magnet than Ed."

"Heh, yeah, I'm starting to think so too…"

"Just what do you hope to find there? You said yourself that you weren't aware of anything until days later."

I shook my head, kneeling down and stroking the ground beneath me. The grass crackled dully under my touch. "I don't know. Maybe going back will help me to remember something."

Alphonse was quiet for a few moments. "…Alex. I don't think you want to remember. You weren't exactly…"

I stood and dusted off my hands. "That's just it, Al. We have no idea if any of this is true. All we've been doing so far is guessing at what I am and taking what our enemies say at face value. First I'm a random soul in your body, then I'm supposedly the creation you made when you were trying to bring back your mother, and now I'm a homunculus? I just…need to know if any of this is true. For myself."

Alphonse sighed deeply. "Okay. But this is not going to be easy. For either of us." I nodded. "Why did we stop here?"

I looked around, taking in the familiar scenery. Pinako's house was exactly where I remembered it, a spot of light in the distance."It was storming that night. I woke up disoriented in this very spot. I didn't know where I was or had any idea how I got here…at first I couldn't move at all…" I closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me. Flashes of terror and confusion flitted across my dark recollections. I let it play forward, as if watching a disjointed movie, then slowly tried to track myself back to this spot. "I can't remember anything before waking up…"

 _"_ Maybe it didn't happen here. Maybe you were just moved here afterwards…"

I opened my eyes, shivering slightly. The images faded. "Come on. Maybe if we go to the house…"

I took a step towards the shadowy building in the distance. Al took a couple of steps to follow me and then stopped. I turned when I could no longer hear his footsteps at my back. "Al?"

"Sorry, I just…"

I looked between the boy and the house. "Al, you don't have to come with me…" I said softly, but even I could hear the tentativeness in my own voice. I would not make him relive his worst memory, I didn't want to…But I also didn't think I could face this on my own.

Alphonse took another step, then started to walk forward slowly. "No. I won't let you go alone…" I sighed inwardly in relief as he came back to my side. We walked forward together.

As we passed the last one hundred yards to the building, I tried to force myself to remember it. But it was no use; it was completely unfamiliar to me. The house was white, only one story. At one time, it might have been homey, cute even, but years of disuse had yellowed the paint and overgrown the yard. Vines crawled up the walls unchecked, as if nature was trying to reclaim it. Beside the house was a large tree, and from one of it's branches hung a small swing, just big enough for a child. It listed to the side, and I could see that one of the ropes was about to snap. It felt haunted to me, and though I didn't remember it, I could imagine a young Ed and Al playing here.

We both paused a few yards from the door, almost unwilling to go any further. "You know," Alphonse said quietly, as if in reverence for the silent house, "Brother wanted to burn this place down…"

"Why," I asked just as quietly, though I thought I knew the answer. This place held so many painful memories for them both, and I could only imagine what it must be like to come back to it.

"He wanted there to be no way out of our chosen path. So that we wouldn't give up and come back here."

"You would never give up, Al."

"I don't know…there are times when I feel like giving up. But even then, I don't think I could ever return here…"

I looked up into the dark windows and shivered at their silence. "What stopped him?"

"I don't know. I never asked."

I nodded and with one last glance at Alphonse, walked to the door and pushed it open. It swung open quietly, though I could clearly see the rust at the hinges. I stepped inside.

"I have no memories of this place…" I mumbled, feeling slightly frustrated. I walked out of the hall and into a kitchen-slash-dining area. Al clanked slowly behind me. I swept my eyes over the dusty space. There was a table and four chairs, along with two buffets and a small kitchen. The walls were decorated with flowers and paintings of fields and horses. A clock hung on the wall, stopped in time. I felt like I was seeing just a small glimpse into Trisha Elric's life.

A series of picture frames caught my eye and I walked over to the small buffet where they sat. There were three. The first one was of a young couple and two small children, no older than one or two. I picked it up and examined it closer, looking at the two boys first. The first boy was held by a large man, and it was obviously Edward. He was smiling innocently at the camera, and he was held awkwardly, as if the man didn't know how to hold a toddler. The second was Alphonse, no more than a baby. He clung to the chest of a young woman who must be Trisha. She was pretty, and her face glowed with happiness. I smiled sadly. They must have been so happy then. I could see from her kind eyes whey my brothers would have wanted to bring her back. I just wish I could have known her.

My eyes shifted to the last figure in the photo, the man. He was large and broad shouldered. His wide jaw was covered lightly with blond hair, and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. This must be Hohenheim. I squinted in confusion, thinking my eyes may have been playing tricks on me, but it looked like he was crying. Did he know then that he would be leaving them forever? The photo made me slightly unsettled, so shaking my head, I set the frame down and looked to the next.

It was of Trisha, Ed and Al. They looked older in it, around five, and Trisha still glowed with health. Hohenheim wasn't in it, so I guessed that he had already left them, and that Trisha was not yet sick. The next photo was of just Ed and Al, and they looked to be about eight. They still looked so happy…There were no more photos after that, and I had to wonder if that was when the trouble started. I lifted the photo and stroked the tiny image of Edward's face. I had never seen him smile like that, so innocent and full of life. And this was Al, the true Al, not just the fake in my reflection. I hoped that one day, I would see them together like this, when all of this was over. I wanted to see that day…Carefully, I slipped the photo out of its frame and carefully tucked it into my inner pocket. I would see it. Someday.

Al gave a shuddering exhale behind me, and I turned to regard him. "Al…?"

"Let's go. I don't know how long I can stay here…"

"Alright."

We walked down the hall a short ways, past shadowy doors that couldn't bear to be opened, and Alphonse finally stopped at the top of a stair, an open door at the bottom. It was too dark down there for even us to see by. "Do we have light," I asked in a whisper.

Al paused and then nodded, disappearing back down the hallway. When he came back, he held a small candle in his hand. He lit it with a snap of a match, and I squinted as the bright light flooded the area.

"Ok. Let's get this over with." I led the way down the stairs and Alphonse followed closely behind me. The closer we got to the bottom, the more stale the air became, and I was tempted to cover my nose. I pushed the door all the way open and stepped inside. Alphonse stepped in beside me and gave a small gasp as the candle illuminated the room brightly. His armor began to vibrate slightly and I gently took the candle from him, carefully setting it on the floor.

"Are you Okay?"

"...Yeah."

Giving him one last concerned glance, I turned my attention forward. I swept my eyes over the room, taking in everything. There was a desk in the far corner, covered with papers and small lanterns. Stacks of books lined the walls, covered in dust. Two suits of armor rested against the back wall, both slightly different from Alphonse. They stared into the room with imagined eyes, as if waiting for a soul to fill them. I tore my gaze from them and looked at the floor. A large transmutation circle was etched into the floorboards, but I could barely see it anymore. It looked like it had been drawn with chalk, and age seemed to have wiped most of it away. A dark stain sat in the middle, and another at the edge. I crouched down and brought my hand lightly to the spot where Edward must have been injured. Al whimpered softly behind me, but I was too focussed on my task to look back. I took a deep breath…and stepped into the center of the circle.

My body began to shake with tension as memories, not of this place but of another lab beneath Central, assaulted me. I bit the inside of my cheek as the ghost of Tucker reared its ugly head, causing my left hand to suddenly ache fiercely. No. This is not what I came here to remember. I brought my clenched hand to my face and then jerked it to the side, as if physically trying to rid myself of the unwanted playback of one of my worst experiences. The specter of Tucker faded, and I forced myself to relax with a deep sigh.

"Alex?" Al's voice was shaking, and I could hear his armor vibrating slightly. I knew this couldn't be easy for him. I looked over my shoulder at him and gave a weak smile.

"I'm okay, Al…" My smile dropped off my face suddenly. The angle I was looking at…it felt familiar…

"Alex, I don't like this…"

"Wait…" I kept staring, but something didn't feel right. I was too high up. I got to my knees….and then lay on my back. I arched my spine and looked behind me. A shadowy figure appeared in my mind, sitting at the edge of the circle. He was looking at me in horror.

"Alex…"

Was that…Ed? My memories were hazy, so I couldn't make out specifics, like what he was wearing, or just how he sat. I could only see his golden eyes, wide with terror. I shifted to my elbows, still looking at him upside down, my throat exposed to the ceiling.

"Alex…!"

Phantom pain zinged through me, but I ignored it, sweating with the effort of trying to remember. Unbidden, my arm lifted from my side and reached towards the memory of Edward. I grasped, but I couldn't reach him.

"NO!" Alphonse's voice blared through the room, shattering the illusion of Edward and jerking me out of my position in surprise. I looked at him, alarmed, my heart pounding in my throat.

"Al…? Al!" I grunted in protest as he strode over and forcefully lifted me from the center of the circle. In an almost painful influx, I felt his terror seize me and I curled into myself with a startled cry. Without putting me down, he stomped out the candle and fled up the stairs and out of the house, slamming the door behind us. A few jerking strides later, he collapsed onto the hard ground, still holding me to his chest forcefully.

I pushed against him, trying vainly to get away, but I couldn't, not without damaging him. "Al!"

"NO! I won't go through this again! I won't watch you in that circle again!"

"Al-" His emotions were suffocating me.

"I won't! Ed was right, we should have burned this place to the ground!"

Pressure built in my mind as his terror bombarded me, and I tried to get through to him but it was as if there was a barrier blocking me out. "Alphonse…!"

"You're not that horrible thing anymore, I don't want to see you like that, I–"

The pressure was becoming unbearable, and I felt like my brain was going to explode. As it came to a painful peak I finally gasped out, "Alphonse, CALM DOWN."

Suddenly, it was as if the world went a startling pitch black and my mind fell back into blessed silence. I fell limp in relief as the pain faded away. Then my eyes snapped open in alarm. Something was wrong. Alphonse was still holding on to me. "Al? Al!" It was as if his emotions had completely flatlined, and though I was staring directly into his glowing red eyes, I couldn't feel him. "Al!" He didn't answer. "ALPHONSE!"

With a jerk, Alphonse seemed to come to, and his feelings of muddled confusion filtered through me. I sighed in relief and rested my head against his chest, my shoulders shaking. "Alex? What happened?"

"I don't know. One second you were panicking, and the next it felt like you were just…gone."

"Like…I lost consciousness?"

"N-no, it was like you _weren't there_. Don't _ever_ scare me like that again!"

I made a small noise of distress and Alphonse loosened his grip on me, turning it into an embrace. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened…"

I shook my head and stood, not letting go of his hand. "Let's get out of here."

I pulled him behind me and we strode quickly and wordlessly all the way back to Pinako's house, leaving the ghosts behind us. I sat with him under the tree that we were under earlier that day and let myself be calmed by the warm light emitted by the open windows where Winry and Pinako worked and Edward rested. In it's soft light, the present came back upon us and some of my fears felt a little farther away.

"So," Al said, sounding a bit more like himself. "Let's never do that again."

I chucked in disbelief. "I second that. That was really stupid."

"Did you remember anything?"

"…Yeah. I was definitely there, in the middle of that circle. Lust was telling the truth, at least about that."

"And the rest?"

"For now, I'll have to say that was true too." And that hung over me like a cloud of depression. If this was all true, then the terrible secret of the red stone must be true as well...

"When we get back to Central, I'll do some research and see if I can't find any information about this homunculi business."

"Yeah, good idea." I leaned back against the tree with a sigh, my hand still attached to Alphonse's armor.

"Alex, I'm not going anywhere."

I shook my head and stubbornly held on. He sighed. "Okay, since we have all night, let's talk about the rest of it."

I grimaced, but nodded. We needed to figure all of this out before we went any further, because there were some things she said that unsettled me greatly. It might mean trouble in the future, and we all needed to be ready.

Al and I talked late into the night. I told him about my guesses and he gave me his input, helping me to figure out some of the things I just didn't understand. One thing was for sure, when Edward was finally well again, we had one hell of a conspiracy theory to throw at him.

 _This chapter was RIDICULOUSLY hard to write. I'm struggling with not repeating events a bunch of times in this story while still trying to make it make sense. It would just be easier if they were all in one room to have some big meeting about it, but that is just not realistic at all. So yeah, a bit frustrated. I can't wait till I'm past this part and they can finally go back to Central, and thusly back to the action. I kind of regret having Lust give him so much information at once, but oh well. We've all been waiting way too long without any explanation, so it had to be done._

 _Next chapter: they will give Ed the summary, figure some stuff out and then get the hell back on track. Whew, okay I'm done ranting._

 _Anyway, thanks for continuing to stick with me. This story is like the mother of all slow plots, and I can understand if I've lost some peeps at this point. Is sad. The hazard of writing a fanfiction of a series, I'm afraid._

 _On another note, can you believe that I've gotten over twelve thousand hits on this story? And a hundred and seventy reviews! Just, wow. I'm so going to hit my goal way before its first year of life. So cool! I never thought it would happen and I'm just thrilled to pieces you all like this story. Rant rant, et cetera et cetera love you guys, bye!_


	42. Chapter 42

"Hey, Al," I said, my voice scratchy from talking all night. I was massaging my head, trying to get rid of a fierce headache from all the thinking and conjecture I had been forcing myself to do. Honestly, it wasn't my forte to speculate about so many things. I would rather just hit stuff and leave the research and speculating to smart people. That, at least, was something that had never changed about me. In this life, or the last.

"Yeah," Al said, just as wearily. We were both slumped under the same tree, though the sun had risen an hour ago.

"This whole not sleeping thing? Sucks."

"Tell me about it." Alphonse lifted his arms and let them fall back in a clank of metal. I smirked at his petulant gesture.

"How are we not insane yet?"

"Well…I don't have a brain to release dangerous chemicals when I stay awake too long. Without biological limits, I guess my soul can just handle it."

"Okay, then how come _I'm_ not insane?" I flopped my arms the same way he did, and was rewarded with a small laugh.

"Alex, you are insane. Haven't you figured that out by now?"

"OH," I said in a dramatic imitation of revelation, " _that's_ why all the friends in my head look at me strangely sometimes."

Alphonse giggled, and I joined him, our laughs sounding slightly delirious. We quieted down after a few minutes. I rubbed my aching head again, wincing at another spike of pain.

"Maybe we should take up meditation, like the monks in the mountains…"

Alphonse looked over to me curiously. "What's meditation?"

I dropped my hand and lazily turned to look at him, an expression of slight disbelief on my face. "You don't know what meditation is?"

He shook his head. "No. Is it some form of martial arts?"

"Heh, no, exactly the opposite. Meditation is like…emptying your mind of all distractions, like pain or pleasure or any outside influences. Religious men would do this to release themselves of all worldly attachments. Others who were not so strict would do it to gain peace of mind."

Alphonse looked up through the branches of the tree, the sun leaving spots of light on his faceplate. "Hm. That sounds nice. But I don't really have any physical distractions."

"You have sight."

"Yeah, but I can't actually block out what I see. I don't have eyelids, remember?"

"Don't you think it would be nice to completely stop thinking for a while, though," I said, warming up to the idea.

"Hm. That would be nice…"

"Let's try it," I said excitedly, sitting up. I tried to remember what my master in my past life had attempted to teach me about meditation. He said it was difficult for beginners, and he had been right. I was terrible at it. That was why I had never considered it before. But still…it might be useful now. "Alright. First, imagine yourself in a completely empty space…"

"Okay…" We sat silently for a few moments, as I tried to get rid of all the random images that popped up whenever I closed my eyes. Then Al sighed beside me. "Alex, it's kind of hard to imagine anything when I can't block out what I'm seeing."

I opened my eyes and looked at him, frowning. "You're right. Hm…" I placed my hands over the two spots of red that seemed to serve as his eyes. "Can you still see?"

"Yes…"

"Huh, weird," I said, pulling back, fascinated. "Okay, I'll do it with my eyes open too, so it's fair."

We sat still for a few more minutes, staring into the countryside and trying to block it out at the same time. Ironically, it was easier for me to achieve with my eyes open. I guess my mind was too crowded a place to do it when my vision was blocked. Slowly, what I was seeing began to fade away, becoming just a plain green space.

"I think I've got it…oh, it's gone," Al said, snapping me out of my own zone. I sighed a bit to myself.

"Okay, this is the tricky part. Once you've got your empty space, imagine an object. It could be anything, as long as it's meaningless to you. Now, try to hold that image as long as possible, while blocking out all other thoughts." I personally had never gotten past that part. But here's to trying.

"Okay…"

Both of us took a deep breath–

"Hey, guys, what are you doing?"

"Gah!" I startled baldy and fell back against the tree with a thump. "Winry, what the heck!" She was standing right in front of me, hands on her hips and leaning down .

She stood back up with a chuckle, and I blushed as I realized that Al was laughing as well. Grumbling a bit, I stood and brushed off my coat nonchalantly. "It's nothing. Just trying something out."

"Hm. Well, hate to interrupt, but I'm done with Ed for now." She massaged her shoulder tiredly. "He's awake and lucid if you want to talk, but don't" she poked me fiercely in the chest, "think you've gotten out of this mister. You three owe me an explanation."

"Ehe..heh…" I laughed nervously, holding my hands up in a placating position. She glared at me with tired bloodshot eyes for a few seconds, then yawned widely and stepped back.

"Right, I'm going to take a short nap then get back to work." She walked off, listing to the side, and both Al and I released a sigh of relief.

"What are we going to tell her," I asked nervously.

"I don't know. We can't tell her everything, it could put her in danger."

"Or make her a worried wreck."

"That too."

Both of us stared at her retreating form worriedly. As much as I hated to think of her as the little woman at home, I could suddenly understand how those secret agents felt in the movies about telling their families what they've been up to.

"Come on, we better get to brother before he crawls out of bed to look for us himself."

I nodded and we followed Winry slowly back to the house. "Are you ready for this," I asked.

"Let's do this."

Edward was sitting up this time when we entered the room. He looked a little better than the day before, but not by much. He still looked flushed, and his hair was loose about his shoulders. He snapped his golden eyes to us when we entered the room, and at least they looked as sharp as ever.

"Alex," he said with a frown, sounding marginally less tired.

"Hey," I said with a small smile.

"Are you…okay now?" He tilted his head to the side , examining me head to toe. "Isn't that outfit a bit ostentatious?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, and yes, I do realize that. But seriously, Ed, who wears a red coat with leather pants, hm?"

Edward shrugged , giving me a small smile. He frowned again a second later. "So, I might have been a little delirious at the time, but what was this I heard about you being covered in blood, hm?"

My smile dropped and I shuffled my feet nervously, "Ehe, you heard that?" I felt distinctly like a small child getting caught playing with knives or something under his stern gaze. I looked over to Al pleadingly, but he just nudged me in the side, transferring a bit of encouragement.

"Look, Ed, I have a lot to tell you. You might want to sit down for this."

Ed lifted a brow, gesturing to his already seated position.

"…Right. I might have found out some things when I left you guys. See, I had a little visitor…"

"Maybe you should start from the beginning," Al interrupted me. Edward's eyes flicked between me and Al, a bit confused, before fixing on me expectantly.

"Okay. After I left you guys, my powers seemed to be stronger than ever, and this time they didn't fade. Thing is, I started to experience this weird pain…" As I described my symptoms, Edward's frown deepened considerably.

"Was it because of the red stone we gave you," he interupted after a moment.

"No, no…Well, yeah. But it wasn't just that one time. All of the stones I've been consuming up to this point have kind of been building up within me, causing a black crystal to form…wait, I'll get to that in a minute. You know that woman who's been stalking me? She kind of…found me in Dublith and saved my life."

"What!"

"Her name is Lust," I continued swiftly, sidestepping the explosion. "She told me some things I really think you ought to know. So please, just listen."

Ed snapped his mouth closed with a click and glared. If he could have, I think he would have crossed his arms impatiently. As it was, he began tapping his fingers on his stomach.

I took a deep breath. Okay, here goes. "Lust called herself a homunculus, or a human doll. She said it was the result of alchemists trying to bring back the dead." Ed opened his mouth, his eyes a bit wide, but I held up a hand to stop him. "Yeah, I'm one too. And she outright told me that there are more, and that they were all created by the same person." I started to pace back and forth, looking at the floor with a frown. "That's why she's been interested in me. She said that I'm the only one who wasn't created by 'him' to survive." I spun around to face my older brother, getting worked up. I rested my hands on his bed. "Lust was _here_ , Ed, three years ago. She was the one who turned me into a fully formed homunculus. She said she was _watching_ you create me, hoping that 'another' would be created!"

Al walked up behind me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, providing me with a blanket of calm. I stood back up and patted his hand affectionately in thanks, feeling my heart slow a bit.

Too bad he couldn't do the same for Edward. He was staring at us with wide eyes. "Are you saying," he said in disbelief, "that we were being played the _whole time?_ " He glared fiercely. "NO. My motivations were pure. She had _nothing_ to do with what happened."

Alphonse shook his head. "We don't think she did. She said she was just observing."

Ed looked down at his sheets and put his hand over his mouth in thought. "How _exactly_ did she change you into a 'fully formed homunculus'?"

"After Pinako buried me, Lust said she found me," I continued. "That was the first time she gave me the red stone." Ed's golden eyes snapped up to me. "She said that the red stone is like food, a sustenance for homunculi. That was why the more I consumed, the less I needed to eat or sleep. It's their power source, at least part of it."

"Hold on. Didn't you say that the red stone was hurting you?"

I nodded. "The red stones that she was giving me, and the red stones that I consumed first at Mugear's lab, then in Central, were different."

"How?"

I clenched my hand over my chest and looked at the floor. "Lust told me that the stones were impure because they weren't created…biologically."

Ed's eyes widened, and his mouth curled in horror. "Are you saying that the stones she was giving you were made inside of pregnant woman?"

Nausea pooled in my gut and I looked away, trying to fight it down. Alphonse, seeing my sick expression, stepped in. "Maybe, but we don't know that for sure. They have to be making a lot of it if they use it for food. Don't you think people would notice if pregnant women suddenly disappeared in mass quantities?"

"Not if it was done without their knowing," Ed said, rubbing his chin and looking inwardly. "Maybe they didn't even need to take them. We don't know the effects of the procedure. If it only caused late miscarriages or still-borns, then all they would have to do was collect the–"

"Stop, enough," I gasped out from behind my hand, tears stinging my eyes. My stomach was roiling in horror just hearing it. To think that something like that was inside of me, fueling me, _saving my life–_

Ed exchanged a glance with Alphonse, a worried look on his face. He abruptly changed the subject. "So the impure red stones, they were hurting you?"

I nodded, gulping audibly. I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Tonelessly, I said, "The impure stones were building up inside of my chest and crystalizing into some kind of poisonous mass. Lust…removed it for me."

"And by removed, you mean…"

"She shoved her hand into my chest and yanked it out like some kind of sick cannibal," I said harshly. "After that, she gave me some of her pure stones and I healed instantly." I put my hand on one of Edward's bed posts and squeezed my eyes shut in distress. Beneath my hand, the wood creaked loudly and then shattered under my touch, startling me.

My two brothers stared at me in shock. I snatched my hand back. "Sorry, I…" I shook my head helplessly.

Al continued for me when I remained silent. "She told Alex that the red stone was only a substitute for something she called the 'homunculus heart', and that without it…Alex will eventually die."

Silence sat in the room for a while like a heavy blanket while the three of us strayed in our own thoughts. My headache stabbed behind my eyes painfully, and I grimaced.

Eventually, Ed let out a long huff of air. He leaned back against his pillows with a thump. "So let me get this straight. If you don't keep getting the red stone, and we don't manage to find this 'homunculus heart', you're going to die?"

"Yup," I said shortly, avoiding his eyes.

"And there's no other way?"

"I didn't exactly come with a 'how to care for your homunculus' manual, Ed," I said, irritation thick in my voice.

Ed ignored it. "Maybe not, but I bet there's something about it in Central Library. We also need to tell Hughes about our suspicions. See if he can't help us track down any incidents of strange miscarriages or still-births."

"Do you really think we should be bringing this to the attention of the military," Al asked, uncertain.

"I don't think we have a choice. It's not like they are going to let me peruse classified medical records. I don't have that kind of clearance." His focused eyes turned towards me, and his voice became commanding. "Alex, how long do you think you can go without another dose?"

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Several months, maybe even a year. That's how long passed between the first and second doses, and the third…the other stones might have interfered with that one…"

Ed nodded, taking that in. His expression became fierce. "If you see that woman again, will you run like I told you _this time_?"

"You bet I'm going to run like hell," I said with conviction. Either that or I was going to fight her. I wanted no repeat of last time, and whatever she wanted me for, I wanted nothing to do with it. She might have saved my life three times now, but it was for her own benefit, and that manipulative witch was not going to control me. Next time, I would be ready. Ed and Al continued to make plans, and I began to relax. I listened to their sure voices with relief, feeling the weight of what had happened lift somewhat. They were going to help me figure this out. I didn't have to deal with this alone.

"But brother, what about Marcoh's research?" My attention was grabbed back to the present and my ears perked up in interest.

Ed rubbed his forehead. "We'll just have to split resources. One of us will have to look into this and the other Marcoh's notes. We only have," he counted with his fingers for a second, "eight days of leave left to figure this out if Winry and aunt Pinako can get me fixed and we get back to Central. Actually, I might be able to convince Mustang to put me on the red stone case to give us more time."

"Wait, wait, hold up," I said, waving my hands. "Marcoh's notes? As in Tim Marcoh?"

"Yeah," Ed said distractedly. "We found his house and a clue pointing to his research on the way here." He trailed off and looked out the window, his thoughts obviously elsewhere. My jaw dropped in surprise. Well. I guess I wasn't the only one who had had an eventful five days. I smiled. It looked like our return to Central would be quite eventful.

I leaned back into the wall behind me in exhaustion. One thing was for sure, I needed a strong drink. The boys continued to hash out specifics of their plan, but I was no longer really capable of listening. They were smart, they could figure it out without me. I left through the door and closed it quietly behind me. I shuffled down the hall and paused at a door, peering inside. Winry was busily drilling away at some piece of metal or other, and I could here Pinako banging away upstairs, no doubt doing the same thing. Stepping quietly by, so as not to disturb the hard working woman, I pushed open the front door and stepped outside. The cool clear air brushed against my face, and I inhaled deeply in appreciation. Armstrong was in the yard, chopping firewood with his shirt off. I nodded to him, already used to his ridiculousness, and walked a ways down the road to my favorite tree. I sat down in the shade…and tried to clear my mind…

o-0-o

The second Alex closed the door behind him, Edward fell silent, listening to his boots wander down the hall. The suit of armor fell silent as well, staring after their adopted brother.

"Brother," Al said softly, "I'm worried about Alex."

"You and me both," Ed mumbled. He eyed the shattered bedpost by his foot with a deep frown. "How are we going to keep him from being manipulated by the military? If they find out about his abilities, they might try to take advantage of him as a weapon."

Al tilted his head, considering, and then shook it. "That's always been true, about both of us. I'm more concerned about what Lust wants with him. We may not be able to interfere with her plans if it keeps Alex from dying."

"Don't say that," Ed said, jerking his head to the side sharply. "We _will_ find something to help him in Central. We have to."

"What if we don't?"

Ed opened his mouth to retort, then closed it slowly. "I…I don't know. But we have Marcoh's research. If we can just figure out how to make the philosopher's stone, maybe we can stop all of this before it happens." Ed said it forcefully, but it sounded hollow even to his own ears. It was too optimistic to believe that that would be the case, but despite his bravado for Alex, he was coming up empty. A sudden spike of anger made him grit his teeth. "It's that _fucking_ red stone," he said hotly, "She's been manipulating us with it since the very beginning."

"Not just us," Al said, his calm voice a sharp contrast to his brother's anger. "This has been going on for much longer than we have been involved. Father Cornello, Mugear, Nash Tringham, Marcoh…Whatever this is, we are far from the only players."

Edward sighed deeply and nodded in agreement. "At least now we know the name of one of the main manipulators. Lust, _and_ whoever created her and the other homunculi we haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet."

"…We just wanted to get our bodies back…" Al trailed off.

"But it looks like we got involved in something much bigger," Ed finished for him. The two brothers stared into each other's eyes in silence, communicating without saying a word and drawing strength from each other, as they had since the very beginning. They would get through this. They were going to find out what was happening, and they were going come out the other side of it. Whole.

 _Aaaand I'm fried. Next Chapter: Winry get's an unsatisfying explanation and then...stuff happens in Central...Mustang...blah. I dunno. Can't think. See you guys next time._


	43. Chapter 43

"Ah, there's just something about the way the old woman makes them," Edward sighed, flexing the spare leg Pinako had given him. He flexed the foot of the simple prosthetic, no doubt reveling in being able to us his leg without pain anymore. The new port had been attached the day before, and Pinako had dubbed his injury stable enough to walk on, as long as he didn't try to run or anything. The swelling had gone down drastically, and while the nasty bruise was still a deep purple in the center, the edges were receding. Edward was finally on his way to being one hundred percent again.

I smiled lightly in his direction from my lazy position against the side of the Rockbell house. The sun was against us, keeping the mild winter wind at bay, and I was thoroughly enjoying the moment of peace.

"Still, I can't help but think we are wasting too much time here," he said, frowning and looking down the road, as if longing to leave.

"Brother, they are already rushing. They said it would only take four days, so just give them time," Alphonse said reasonably.

"Aaah, I know," Ed said petulantly, waving his arm in the air, "but knowing that Marcoh's research is just sitting in Central waiting for us is making me all fidgety." Tactfully, he didn't mention the other reason we had to hurry back. And for that, I was grateful. I really didn't want to think about it right now…not when the sun was warming my skin so pleasantly, and the clear air was rustling my hair gently.

It was one of those rare warm days in winter, one of the first warm fronts that would bring on the spring. But that was still almost a month away…I tried to coax Jäger into joining the land of the living, but the stubborn reptile still seemed insistent on sleeping the winter away. I wondered vaguely what it would be like to have him around once it was warm again. Maybe I could convince everyone he was an exotic breed from Xing and carry him around with me openly…

"Hey, that reminds me," I said suddenly, although we weren't actually talking about anything. My two brothers looked over to me. "Isn't it almost your birthday, Ed?"

Edward looked up and rubbed his chin. "Oh yeah, I guess it's actually in a couple of weeks."

"So you'll be fifteen now…" I said. "Wow, it really has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah…I guess it has."

Another thought occurred to me. I looked over at Al. "Hey Al, I've never asked, but when is your birthday?" Actually, I kind of felt bad about that. I'd been traveling with them for so long, and I never bothered to celebrate Al's birthday. In fact, we hadn't really celebrated anyone's birthday since that incident with Elicia. They had just kind of passed by without acknowledgement. I frowned, thinking that was just a little bit sad.

"Oh, I guess mine was in the fall," Al said thoughtfully.

"What," I exclaimed, sitting up. "Does that mean we are already fourteen?"

"What do you mean, 'we'," Ed said, raising a brow. "Don't you have your own birthday?"

I fell back on my back and looked at the sky. "Not really. I mean, I left that body behind remember? And the day I was born here…well, it's not exactly a day I like to remember." A moody quiet set over the three of us for a moment, and then I broke it with a light smile. "So, I just kind of share my birthday with Al, you know?"

Edward was looking at me with a thoughtful frown, but I avoided his eyes, a bit depressed. Suddenly, he smiled and rustled my hair. A spark of emotion passed between us, and I hardly reacted, already quite used to the feeling. Edward, however, gave a startled grunt at the brush with my consciousness. He snatched his hand back. "Damn, I forgot about that…" I looked at him with a worried frown, half sitting up, but he just shook his head and plastered the grin back on his face. "We could choose a birthday for you. That way, Al gets to keep his all to himself, and you get your own day."

I brightened a bit at the thought. "Yeah, that sounds like fun!"

"Let's see," Al jumped in, looking up at the sky. "Why don't we make it in the spring? That way, we'll each get our own season."

I crinkled my nose. "No way! That would make me still thirteen."

"What's the sudden rush to grow up," Ed said, laughing in my expense. "I thought women didn't like growing older."

"Hey!" I said, trying to smack him but aborting the movement at the last second. Judging by his expression, Edward had not missed my avoidance to touch him, but continued to laugh, clearly deciding that now wasn't the time. "I'll have you know that I was in the prime of my life! Not a wrinkle on my face." I crossed my arms petulantly. "But that's not important! I just don't want to be a kid any longer than I have to."

"You want to get married or something," he continued to rib.

"No! I just want to be able to drink again, is all."

"Well, we can legally drink at age sixteen," Al said, chuckling as well. "Why don't we say your fourteen now, and fifteen in the spring? That way you're still older than me and younger than Ed, but you'll only have to wait one more year."

I paused for a minute, considering, then smiled brightly, liking that idea a lot. I wondered if I could make it official somehow, like convince Roy to put it in my forged records. That would be pretty cool.

"It's not like your apparent age has actually stopped you from drinking," Ed muttered. "Alcoholic."

"What was that, shrimp!"

"Don't call me small!"

We argued playfully as the sun drifted lazily across the sky, and eventually quieted back down to silent companionship. Ah, yeah. This was what I had missed.

Al broke the silence first. "Brother, I've been thinking. Why don't you go visit mom?"

"…You mean her grave," Ed said softly, his face a bit solemn.

"I've already gone. I know she would want to you visit as well."

The blond sighed and lifted himself from the ground a bit clumsily. "Yeah, you're right. It's been too long…"

I glanced between the boys silently and then closed my eyes, feeling as though I was intruding in a private moment. I heard the crunch of Edward's feet as he paused beside me. I squinted up at him, the sun bright behind his head. "Would you…like to come too? In a way, she was your mother as well."

Surprised, I propped myself on my elbows, looking up into his solemn expression. "Do you really mean that," I said, uncertain. I had to admit, I was curious. I wanted to see the grave of the woman who these boys had sacrificed so much for. It wasn't like I could actually meet her, so this was the closest I could get. But still, I didn't want to intrude. After all, she never meant as much to me as she did to them.

Ed nodded with conviction and offered to help me up. I glanced down at his proffered hand in surprise, and then looked up at him worriedly. "Ed, you do realize…"

The young alchemist sighed, but did not retract his hand. "I know. But," he glanced at his younger brother, who watched us silently, "if Al can handle it, then so can I." He smiled down at me, just a tad uncertain but still determined. Slowly, I took his hand, and he hoisted me to my feet.

My bond with Edward, unlike the masses whom I could only get the gist of their emotions, was clear as crystal, and as clear as my connection with Alphonse. Whatever had happened in Central had unlocked my mind to him, and although he put on a brave face, there was no hiding what he really felt from me anymore.

I felt fear, mixed with trepidation and an equal amount of determination. He was smiling at me weakly, but it was strained, and I could feel his hesitation and dislike of the contact, despite his brave face. He pulled his hand away from me just as soon I was balanced again and turned to walk down the road, shaking his hand out sharply. I frowned sadly and glanced at Alphonse. He could only shrug and offer me a shake of his head. Give him time, he seemed to say to me.

My shoulders slumped and I turned to follow Edward down the road. I don't know how it happened, but for some reason I had developed a bond with Edward just as I had with Alphonse the first time I met him. I didn't know why, and it was eating me up. The only thing I could figure was that I seem to connect with people after receiving an extreme influx of power. But why hadn't I first bonded with Pinako? Or with Lust? I shuddered at that particular thought. Was it that there was something special about the two boys that connected me to them? But how could that be? The only thing that connected us was the night they tried to bring their mother back…I just didn't know, and I was threatening to give myself another headache just thinking about it. Perhaps once we returned to Central, we would find out more…

Resentment filled me at the strange turn of happenstance. All I knew was that this meant no more easy touches, no more close contact and playful shoves with someone I loved dearly. And I hated it. But more than that, I was afraid that Edward would eventually hate _me_ for it, as well.

We trudged along in silence for a few minutes. Every once in a while, Edward would stop and say hello to a local villager, but spoke not a word to me until a little while later. Suddenly, he stopped and sighed. "Look," he said, looking over his shoulder at me. "I know I'm not handling this very well…"

I shook my head. "It's alright. It took me and Al months to get used to the bond."

Ed scratched the back of his head and blushed charmingly. "Aah, I just don't want this to change anything between us."

"But it has," I said despondently.

Ed turned fully around and ruffled his hair in irritation, looking at the ground. "It hasn't! Look, I know I suck at talking about mushy stuff, but if it had to happen with someone…I'm glad it was me who touched you first." He was blushing deeply, and I gaped at him charmingly. "I mean, what if it had been that bastard Mustang or something," he waved his hand in the air absurdly, "or a fly!"

I gaped for a second, then a laugh bubbled up in me. "Pft. Heh. Ahaha." I giggled into my hand, bot believing what Edward was saying. "I'm not really sure it works that way but…thanks." I looked at him gratefully. Ed avoided my eyes, trying to will his blush away. "I guess, if it had to happen…I'm glad it was you."

The young man smiled , and then turned away abruptly, looking at the sky. "Anyway," he huffed, putting his hands in his pockets and continuing to walk. "It might come in handy some day. Like a secret code or something."

I just shook my head, following him down the road. I didn't think it would ever exactly be easy with Edward's emotional constipation and volatile mood swings, but at least he didn't seem to want to avoid me. I could live with that.

Edward led us off the dirt road after about five miles and stopped in front of a modest grave, unremarkable amongst the tombstones. I looked at it curiously. It was a plain stone, smoothed and polished, and on it was Trisha Elric's name and the years she lived, engraved in shallow etches. Resting against the bottom was a wreath of flowers, no doubt left by Alphonse.

Edward was looking down at the grave sadly, as if it was the most precious treasure in the world. I wondered how wonderful such a woman must have been to get such devotion and love from her two sons. "Hey, mom…"

o-0-o

Alphonse watched his retreating brothers, slightly worried. Alex looked so sad when Edward snatched his hand away. He remembered how hard it was for himself and Alex to adjust to the bond in the beginning, and he hoped that Edward would eventually get used to it. He really didn't want to see their easy friendship fall apart…

"Where are they going," Winry yawned, walking around the corner.

"Just to visit mom," Al responded, pulling his eyes from their retreating backs.

"Oh," Winry huffed, sitting beside Alphonse exhaustedly. "Man, I'm beat. I really need a break…"

They sat together for a few moments, and then Alphonse spotted a girl wandering down the dirt road. She was young, about their age, and had long brown hair.

"Hey, Winry, who is that," Al said. Maybe someone new had moved into town. It wouldn't surprise him, seeing as they had been gone for so long.

Winry opened a tired eye. "Oh, that's Emma. You know her, we used to play together all the time as kids." Emma waved cheerfully at Winry, and with a small smile, Winry waved back.

"What…?" Al looked at the girl harder, but her face sparked no memories for him. "I don't remember that."

"Well, she has changed a lot since then. Maybe you just didn't recognize her," Winry said tiredly.

Alphonse gazed at the girl, her form now retreating into the distance. He tried to remember playing with her, but he couldn't. Something felt off, and his heart sank a little. Shouldn't he remember someone he used to play with all the time…?

Winry's deep sigh broke Alphonse from his thoughts. With a groan, the young woman got to her feet and massaged the small of her back. "Alright, time to get back to work." She stretched her arms above her head. "With any luck, we should be able to attach Ed's new limbs in the morning."

Winry retreated into the house, leaving Al with an unsettled feeling in his soul.

o-0-o

We returned to the house an hour later, my step both lighter and more solemn than it had been before. Edward had seemed to also have fallen into a dim mood, and we walked together in comfortable silence. Al was sitting right where we left him, and he waved at us briefly in greeting.

"Hey, Al," Ed said, still seeming to be in his own head. Al grunted in response.

"Winry came out. She said they can attach your automail tomorrow morning."

"Finally," Ed groaned, flopping back on the ground. "I thought they would never finish."

"Maybe you should just sleep for the rest of the day," I suggested. "That way, tomorrow will come faster."

"Good idea," Ed said, making a show of closing his eyes and snoring. I laughed a bit, but looked at the house in worry.

"Guys? I think we should tell Winry…about me."

Ed sat up, suddenly serious. "Alex, you know why we can't. I don't want her involved in all of this."

"Yeah, but…I owe her some kind of explanation. I can't imagine what it would be like if I was left home by myself while my family was going through something so dangerous. Besides, Russel already kind of spilled the beans," I grimaced, again resolving to slap him the next time I saw him. "And she already noticed that I'm…different. In fact, she practically already knows."

Ed glared at the ground for a second, then grunted in consent. "Fine, just…don't tell her too much. I don't want her to be trapped here worrying about us all the time."

"She already does that," I mumbled, almost too quietly for him to hear. I walked slowly back to the house to find one of my only female friends in this world.

o-0-o

I found the young woman in the living room. Her back was facing me, and she was standing in front of Edward's discarded coat, holding something tightly to her chest.

"Winry," I said uncertainly, sensing the dark mood about the woman. She turned to me, and I was startled to see tears in her eyes. "Winry! What is it," I said instantly concerned. I stepped forward and reached out to her, but she only shook her head.

"…I'm sorry," she said despondantly. At first I was confused, having no idea why she was apologizing, but then she slowly extended her hand, revealing Edward's silver pocket watched. I furrowed my brow.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I opened it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to see…"

"See what?"

She opened the watch and I stepped forward, looking into it. "What…" I squinted , and I could make out something etched into the silver lid. It was a date, and over it was the inscription 'Don't forget'.

"What does it mean," I said, looking up into her sad eyes.

"It's the day Edward and Alphonse tried to bring their mother back…He's been carrying a physical reminder of his guilt, as if he refuses to heal…"

"Oh," I said softly, not sure how to respond to that news. Was that what he was telling himself not to forget? Or was it something else?

"You three have to promise me that you will always come back," she said, looking me straight in the eye and snapping the watch closed. "Promise."

I frowned, and then sighed. "Winry, I've been meaning to tell you…I'm not human."

Her blue eyes widened in surprise. "Is that why your eyes have changed color? Why you seem so…different?"

I looked down. "…Yeah. And in trying to get our bodies back, we've run into a lot of trouble that is beyond our control. I'm not going to lie to you. We are leading dangerous lives." We locked gazes, and I tried to convey to her my feelings. "I promise to always come back, both stubborn boys in tow, if you promise to always be here to greet us." I may not have been from this world, but I had become part of the Elric family, and by extension, the Rockbell's too. And Winry would always be a precious friend to me. I hoped she felt the same, despite knowing the truth.

Winry started at me with her wide eyes, and for a moment, I feared she would reject my request. But then she smiled, tearing up a bit. "Silly. What is family for?"

Elated by her response, I smiled widely. "Aw, Winry, only family? I think Ed would cry if he heard he's been regulated to the bro zone."

Blushing cutely, the young woman just shook her head. "Shut up and hug me, you moron."

The next day, after Edward's automail was fitted and we said our goodbyes, my brothers and I stepped out of Winry's life once more, military escort in tow. We had lingered long enough. It was time to get back on track.

o-0-o

In Central, Mustang stared out of his office window into the gently falling snow. Unlike the calm weather outside, his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, all coming down to one thing. There was someone out there pulling all of their strings, and he wasn't entirely certain it wasn't coming from the military itself. Something was stirring in Central, but he just couldn't figure out what. Strange orders and questionable shipments had been reported more often of late, and though he already had Hughes investigating, it still felt as if he should be doing more.

A soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and he turned as his best friend entered the room without announcement.

"Maes. What is it."

"Well, you're in an awfully bright mood," Hughes said, shrugging his hands, depressingly cheerful as always. Mustang looked back out the window, not even bothering to roll his eyes.

"Have you found out anything?"

The family man sighed and leaned against Roy's desk. "Not anything more since the last time you asked. An hour ago. Really, Roy, you need to relax a little. Maybe get yourself a wife."

"Hughes."

"Alright, alright. I just thought you might like to know that Lieutenant Barret has returned, and he has quite the wild tale to tell. Also, we just received word that the boys are on their way back to Central." Hughes looked over this shoulder at the suddenly interested colonel. "So, should I send him in?"

Mustang lifted an irritated brow and Hughes chuckled a bit. And then his face turned serious. "I don't think you are going to like what he has to say, Roy. Just a warning."

The black haired man nodded, and Hughes opened the door, allowing the investigator's serious subordinate to enter. Lieutenant Barret snapped a salute, and Mustang nodded in acknowledgment.

"Report."

 _Hey all! Back to Central we go, woohoo! Heh, despite my earlier pessimism, I think I resolved all of that quite nicely, so we can get back on track. And get this story moving again!_

 _For those of you that are wondering, I did not burn down the library. Why? Because Sheska is annoying, and I don't want to write her. And plus, Lust didn't find out that they found Marcoh's note since she nabbed him a little earlier this time, so there is no reason for pyromancy._

 _Hey, guess what, guess what! I wrote a little companion fic for Subsoul called Undesired Desires. For those of you that were wanting a little romance, I wrote a one shot that is a little funny, a little awkward, and definitely rated M. So if you have virgin eyes, please feel free to skip it. If you don't, I hope you will all check it out and leave me a nice note!_

 _Next chapter: the search begins, and Alex has a drink with a friend._

 _See you guys next time!_


	44. Chapter 44

"Ed, where are we going?" The three of us were walking swiftly down the street, people bustling past us in their daily lives in the early afternoon. It was freezing in Central, to which we had only just arrived, and everything was covered in a fine layer of snow. I pulled my black jacket around myself tighter, glad for it's longer length in this weather.

"To the library, where else," Ed grumbled, pushing his way past a group of chattering woman standing outside of a food stall.

I pushed around them as well, confused, hardly listening to Alphonse politely excusing himself behind me. "But shouldn't we report to Mustang first?"

"Report what exactly," Ed said, waiting impatiently for us to catch up. "We don't really have anything to report yet, not until we find out exactly what we are dealing with. Besides," he turned around and began walking once we had reached his side, "we still have eight days of leave. I, for one, am not going to compromise that by reporting early."

"What about the investigation of the red stones," I asked worriedly.

"What about it? We don't need his permission to research the red stones."

"But Ed–"

Edward sighed. "Look, first we have to find out as much as possible about how they are made. We can't just go in with guesses. Anyway," the irritated blond kicked some snow, "there's no garuntee he will let us investigate it in the first place."

I frowned to myself, acknowledging his point. As much as I wanted to consider Mustang a friend, it wasn't like I could ask for special treatment. He may very well hand it over to someone else, assuming he believed us in the first place. But still…I looked over my shoulder, back to where I knew his office was. Just because Ed didn't trust anyone else to look into this properly, I was not so narrow minded. There were plenty of competent people in Central that I trusted. Like Hughes. Or Barret.

"Mr. Elric, sir!" I looked back forward, nearly running into Alphonse, when a woman addressed us. Ed came to an abrupt stop as a young woman in military uniform stepped in front of us and saluted. She was tall, and quite pretty. Her hair was short and dark brown, and she looked straight forward formally with her equally dark eyes. Beside her stood another soldier, this one a man with blond hair.

"Yeah, what is it," Ed said, looking slightly guarded.

"Second Lieutenant Maria Ross, reporting for duty."

"Sergeant Denny Broch, reporting for duty."

"It's an honor to meet you, Fullmetal Alchemist Major Edward Elric, sir."

Their responses were formal, and almost funny in their seriousness. I guessed Ed technically outranked them, but…Oh, wait. They were looking at Alphonse. I grinned as I could see a vein pop on Edward's forehead.

"Wow, it's nice to finally meet you, sir," Brosh said, dropping his salute with a grin. "I see your name fits you perfectly. They weren't kidding about the full metal thing."

"Um, nice to meet you," Alphonse said. "But I'm not the Fullmetal Alchemist. He is."

Both officers stunned for a moment, and then Brosh looked at _me_. "Oh, sorry, sir–" Beside me Edward face palmed, and I shook my head rapidly, pointing at the short fuse beside me.

"OH, um," Brosh was starting to sound flustered but Ed just glared at him until he shut up. The older man blushed charmingly and shut his mouth with a sharp snap.

"What do you want," Ed grumbled.

Maria Ross looked at us sternly. "I believe Major Armstrong told you to expect us at the station."

"Ah, yeah, he might have mentioned something like that before he left," Ed said flippantly, scratching the back of his head.

Ross' brow twitched, but she held her composure in the face of his attitude. "We are to escort you while you are in the city for as long as the fugitive Scar is on the loose."

"We don't need a damn babysitter," Ed snapped suddenly.

The young woman fell to attention, unfazed by Edward's anger. "We have our orders, sir."

For a split second, I thought our older brother would rebel, but he merely let out a large breath and walked around them. "Whatever, just don't hold me back." He began his rapid pace from earlier and the four of us stared after him, Al and I exasperated and the two officers stunned.

"Sorry about our brother," Al said placatingly, always the peacekeeper. "He's like that with everyone. Please don't take it personally." With a slight bow, he followed after Edward, leaving the two adults in his wake.

Suddenly, I was the only one left. Ross and Brosh turned to me almost expectantly, as if they were just waiting for me to say something strange. Innocently, I shrugged my shoulders. I gave a flirtatious wink to Ross, the gobsmacked woman lifting a brow, and then followed my grouchy brother. After a moments hesitation, and no doubt an exchange of confused glances, I heard the officers fall into step behind me.

ox0xo

Central Library First Branch had to be the largest collection of books I had ever laid eyes on. The two story marble building was huge, it's high ceilings sparsly decorated but impressive nonetheless in craftsmanship. Rows upon rows of shelves lined every wall, and more could be seen on the balcony holding the second floor. The back of the building wasn't even visible from the entrance, the collection of shelves were so dense.

The five of us walked into the silent building towards the large front desk, Edward flashing his state alchemist's watch at the guard. He merely gave a cursory glance at it before allowing us to pass without incident. Immediately, I was assaulted with the nostalgic scents of polished wood and dusty paper that seemed to permeate every library, in any world.

"How on earth are we supposed to find anything in a place like this," I asked, cringing charmingly as my voice echoed off the stone walls a bit loudly.

Edward rolled his eyes, as if I had just asked something ludicrous. "By searching by subject, and then by author. It's not just randomly organized."

Oh. Right. "I have to admit, I'm not much one for libraries," I said, looking around distastefully. To say I wasn't fond of libraries was a bit of an understatement. I had never been good at school or reading, and while I didn't like to think of myself as an idiot, I wasn't exactly the sharpest tack in the pin board when it came to the written word. Ed shot a long suffering expression over his shoulder.

"You are going to be completely useless, aren't you?"

"Yup," I said brightly, completely unashamed. Hey, there were people who liked to read and people who didn't. I just happened to be a watch a movie, go for a run type person.

"Sir," Ross cut in, interrupting us. Edward regarded her with quiet disdain, but Ross was not stymied. "How long do you plan to stay here, if I might ask?"

"As long as it takes," Ed said, raising a brow. He turned back towards the information desk, clearly in dismissal, but Ross continued anyway.

"If you mean to stay overnight, I can't allow that," she said without apology.

The young alchemist grit his teeth and his shoulders tensed. "I don't remember asking for your opinion, Lieutenant."

The young woman bristled, finally seeming affected by his tone. Alphonse and I watched the sparks fly in the power struggle with varying degrees of interest (me) and worry (Al). Brosh seemed to be nervously biting his nails, disbelieving that his partner was being so direct to a superior officer.

"Sir, Scar is still on the loose, and he has been known to specifically target you in the past. With the current security of this library, I cannot guarantee your safety."

"Figuring out how to do your job is your problem," Ed snapped, his voice echoing off the walls sharply. "Finding the philosopher's stone is mine." This time, when he turned away in dismissal, Ross did not comment. Her expression was fierce however, and I got the feeling that this conversation was not over.

"Please understand," Al said, again trying to make peace. "This is the first real lead we've had in a long time." Ross nodded, but she didn't seem to be too thrilled by his words.

We finally reached the front desk (man this place was huge), and Edward tersely greeted the attendants. The poor older woman seemed to cringe at his expression, and I rolled my eyes. My, he was in such a mood that day. I guessed his impatience at finally getting back on track was getting to him. I smiled charmingly at the woman, and she seemed to calm a bit.

"We need a room," the boy said shortly. After procuring a key, Edward left the desk abruptly, leaving the rest of us to idle in his volatile wake.

"Ed," I said, trotting to keep up with him. "Aren't you even going to ask where to find–" I was cut off by his hand slapping over my mouth. Both of us grimaced at the influx of emotions, and Edward snapped his hand back quickly, though not before I felt some of his intense agitation and annoyance.

Edward flexed his hand for a second, staring at it, then shook his head abruptly. He got close to my face and whispered, "Look, I don't want the military to know what we are researching just yet. We don't know who's involved in all of this, and just casually talking about it is a really bad idea so will you _please_ shut up."

Stunned, I watched his retreating back disappear down the hall. I glanced back at the two officers standing a respectful distance away and frowned deeply. Edward thought the military might be involved in this? Looking between the two soldiers, I couldn't sense any form of malice or deceit. But…maybe he was right, I thought, ashamed. Maybe I was becoming too complacent around the military, trusting them at face value. I thought of Grand, and what I had heard about the war, and everything that I was told about how the military operated. Mustang and Hughes might be on our side, but just because I knew a few friendly faces did not mean they were all that way.

Closing off my expression, I silently followed my brothers as they wandered down the rows, searching for our latest lead. We started with the red stone, and without further ado, the two geniuses began collecting books. I just watched as they pulled tome after tome off the dusty shelves, having no idea where to even start. Luckily, it seemed like they didn't need me.

A few hours later, the three of us sat around a table in a small research room, a sizable pile of books between us. Ross and Brosh sat in chairs outside of the closed doors leading to the hall, the only exit to the room besides a small window leading to the outside. I leaned back in my seat, massaging my temple lightly, trying to get rid of the anxiety I was already feeling just by looking at the considerable pile of knowledge.

With a sigh, Alphonse dropped the last few books on the table and sat down beside me. "This is the last of the books I was able to find on the red stone. Still haven't found anything about the homunculi, but maybe we need to search in bio-alchemy to find that."

Edward nodded, already flipping through the first book. He grunted and set it aside on the floor, starting a reject pile, no doubt. He picked up a next one, his eyes moving almost freakishly fast over the text, and it met a similar fate a second later. "I don't think we are going to have much luck with these, but it's a start." I scoffed. Only a start? There were, like, fifty books on the table! Ignoring me completely, he continued, his brow furrowed. "This collection seems incomplete, with only vague references to the red stone. I'm guessing someone doesn't want this to be public knowledge. I'm not surprised really, seeing as how it's forbidden by law."

"Do you think we'll find anything," Al asked, also skimming a large book.

"Dunno. Maybe we'll see something they missed…"

For a few minutes, the boys seemed to be completely absorbed in reading, the only sounds in the room rustling of pages and the slight clank of Al's armor when he moved. With a quiet sigh, I pulled the book closest to me into my lap. Here goes.

It was a heavy tome, the smooth leather cover worn with age. I pulled it open to a random page, coughing faintly at the musty smell. It opened to a diagram of some sort, the yellowed pages containing tiny, hand written text. Even with my enhanced vision, it was hard to make out the cramped script.

I tried to understand, I really did, but Latin words and references to branches of alchemy I didn't understand bombarded me, and soon enough the letters started to dance around the page like a horde of angry flies. I snapped the book shut and pushed it away. Ugh, I might as well have been reading, well, Latin. What I wouldn't have given for a google search bar right about then. But, alas, the internet, let alone modern search engines, had not yet been invented in this world.

A quiet knock breached the quiet, and Ross entered, the Lt. looking none too pleased, with a pile of what looked to be leather bound journals in her hands. "The research you requested, sir," she said cooly.

When neither boy responded, I got up with a sigh and took the pile from Ross. "Here, let me help you with those."

"Tim Marcoh's research, volumes one through twenty. I'll have the rest brought to you." With one last disapproving glance at Edward, Ross left the room, closing it quietly behind her. I sighed again. Clearly she didn't appreciate running errands for us. I felt a bit of sympathy for her. Her heart was in the right place, but she clearly had no idea who she was dealing with. Edward would do what he wanted, no matter who tried to tell him otherwise.

I looked down at the books in my arms curiously, feeling a spark of excitement. Tim Marcoh's research. These journals could very well hold the key to the philosopher's stone, our holy grail, the one thing that might return us to normal. I set the small pile down on the coffee table and took a seat on one of the couches. With a cursory glance at the two fully absorbed boys across the room, I picked up the first journal, not really expecting to be able to understand it, but curious none-the-less.

Before I could lift a single page, however, a loud crash by the door startled all three of us. I was on my feet in an instant, my heart in my throat. Was Scar attacking us? Did Lust find me again!?

"Who are you," Ed said, irritation clear in his voice at being interrupted. A small woman, no older than twenty, lay on the floor in the middle of a pile of books she had clearly just been carrying.

"Ow," she groaned, rubbing her head and clenching her bespectacled eyes shut. A second later, her eyes snapped open, revealing twin circles of light brown, and rubbed her short hair and said in a high, panicked voice, "Aaah, what a mess!"

"Are you alright," Al asked, slightly concerned for the plainly dressed woman. The girl looked up at him, seeming surprised she had an audience. She jumped to her feet with a blush after a moment of gaping and bowed in apology.

"Oh, my goodness, I'm so sorry! Here're the rest of the books you wanted!" Seeming overly panicked, she crouched to the floor and began picking them up, but in her haste, she only managed to drop them again.

"Here, let me help," Al said, coming to her rescue. He began picking up the books with the grateful girl, when he suddenly spied the author. "Brother! Marcoh's notes!"

"Say what!" I laughed quietly, watching. It took a girl literally causing a racket for them to look up from their research for a moment.

Edward snatched a book from the poor girls hands, reading the spine. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh, yes." The girl said, brightening up. "Tim Marcoh's One Thousand Recipe's to Make Magic in the Kitchen. It's one of my all time favorite reads."

"…"

I hastily flipped open the book that was still clutched in my hands, and sure enough, instead of complicated alchemy research, there was an easy recipe to make union soup. "Um…are you absolutely sure you got the right author," I said in disbelief.

"Oh, yes, definitely. I never forget an author, and there is only one Tim Marcoh in this library. Isn't that what you were looking for?" She put a finger to her mouth in concern.

Before I could snap at her sarcastically that no, we were not looking for the entire 'Cooking for Dummies' collection, Ed interrupted me.

"Yeah, this is it," he said, flipping through the journal excitedly. I looked at him like he was crazy, but again, he ignored me. "Are you sure this is all of it?"

"Well, yes, that's all we have," the girl said uncertainly.

"Good."

"Um, am I the only one confused here?"

"It's in code. Common practice amongst alchemists. We are a kind of greedy bunch," Ed said offhandedly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Al, we will need to split resources for now. Can you keep looking into this stuff?"

"Got it."

Edward grinned manically. "Let's get started." Before I knew it, the two were thoroughly involved in their task once more, Edward pulling out a journal and beginning to scribble on it furiously while Alphonse seemed to go through material faster than I thought possible.

I glanced between the two in disbelief. Right. Geniuses. Shaking my head, I turned back to the girl. "Thanks, um…"

"Sheska," she said with a slight bow and a smile. I smiled back.

"Thanks, Sheska. We'll let you know if we need anything else."

The mousy girl left with a bright smile at the praise, closing the door quietly behind her. Once again I was left alone with the two researching machines I called brothers. I turned and watched them, in awe. Edward was scribbling away, ink flecking his face and hands, but was so focussed he didn't notice. Alphonse set down his third book in five minutes, and already the next was open on his knee, rapidly absorbing the text as if he was a sponge to water. Not for the first time, I felt acutely the gap in intelligence between us. I couldn't help but feel inferior in the face of their blatant brilliance. It was like the alchemy exam all over again. I just hoped this time that we wouldn't be stuck in limbo for another entire year.

I looked out the window longingly, the sun barely setting on the horizon. We had been in the library for hours, and they didn't show any signs of stopping. I made a quick decision, not even having to consider long. "I'm leaving. I'm no use here." Neither one of the boys responded to my statement, and I hadn't expected them too. Feeling a tad useless, I left them to their work.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it with a deep sigh.

"Mister Elric?" Feeling stressed, I couldn't help but glare at Brosh, causing the man to furrow his brow in worry.

"I'm leaving," I repeated.

"But, sir," Ross interjected from her seat on the other side of the door.

I shook my head sharply. "I'm not a state alchemist, and thus no concern of yours." I looked her straight in the eye. The short haired woman seemed taken aback at my abruptness. "You don't have to worry about me." Without another word, I strode down the hall and out of the library, leaving the world of books behind me. I didn't belong there. They could do this without my help.

I walked into the still night air, taking in a frigid breath. Damn, I needed a drink. Fuck being 16. I wasn't a freaking kid and I needed something to take the edge off right now. And there was only one man in the entire city who I knew would give that to me. Decisively, I picked my way through the streets of Central, going to the one place that had offered me asylum from the madness when I needed it most.

ox0xo

Roy Mustang groaned deep in his chest as he clumsily inserted the key to his house with icy fingers. Truth, he hated winter. Cold had to be the worst thing to happen to this world, only excepting the year they decided military women should wear pants. It was only six in the evening, but the outside air was already unbearably frigid.

Eventually, he got the stubborn key into the lock and turned it, pushing his way inside his dark house. By the glow of the street lamp outside, he found the light switch which he still had trouble finding after the remodel, and flicked it on. Shutting the cold out behind him, Roy let out an irritated sigh and lit the fireplace with a snap of his fingers, trying to warm the house as quickly as possible. The black haired man stripped himself of his outer coat, then his military jacket, hanging them by the door. Toeing off his polished shoes, he unbuttoned the first three clasps of his shirt, shivering as his throat and chest were bared to the cool air and trying to rid himself of the stifling feeling work had left him with of late. He padded across the room quickly, standing in front of the fire to warm his hands. Belatedly, he realized he was still wearing his gloves, the circle on the back of them standing out starkly against the white. Irritated, he stripped them from his hands and threw them somewhere in the vicinity of the couch.

As the fire warmed him, the tired colonel tried to relax. His thoughts still buzzed with the latest troubling reports he had been receiving, and still his muscles tensed involuntarily. Man, what he really needed was a drink.

He glanced over at the shelf containing his favorite cognac, but before he could even contemplate pouring himself a glass, there was a knock on the door.

Mustang narrowed his eyes, at first thinking he had imagined it. Who in their right mind would be bothering him _now_? Maybe if he ignored it, they would go away…A second knock sounded on the door, this time more insistent, and Mustang groaned. Clearly whoever it was would not stand to be dismissed.

With a tired sigh, the colonel shuffled back towards the door, not bothering to make himself descent. Whoever it was could be uncomfortable in his disheveled state for all he cared, they were the one intruding. Mustang swung open the door, a disdainful reprimand on his lips.

But like a hurricane blowing in, one of the very points of recent stress occupied his doorway, fair face covered in a cheshire grin and bottle of wine clutched in coated arms.

"Why, Roy, were you expecting me?"

Probably one of the last people he would ever want to see him half dressed besides Riza Hawkeye or the Furer himself, Alex Elric brushed into his house, shoving the (illegally obtained, surely) wine into the bewildered colonel's hands before taking off his shoes and making himself comfortable without so much as an invitation.

Roy closed his eyes and counted to ten. Slowly. This was going to be a long night.

 _Huh, I wrote Sheska anyway...I'm so fickle._

 _Wow, me and Alex are like complete opposites. Besides our passion for martial arts, I don't think I've ever written a character who was so different from me in every way. Doesn't like libraries! What!? How is that even possible!? And spicy drinks? Ew. Almost as gross as sweet drinks._

 _Next chapter: we are treated to a little bit of Alex's backstory and find out why he acts the way he does. That, along with a liberal dose of playful flirting. Can't wait._

 _Hey all, just so you know, I'm having a bit of trouble viewing your reviews. From what I can tell, it seems to be a site-wide epidemic, but no worries, I and a few friends have sent an email to the server asking for help. It should be fixed soon. Fan fiction has always been good about that in my experience. Anywho, thanks for everyone who reviewed last time, I really do appreciate it even though I don't know what was said. If you asked a specific question, I'm sorry I didn't answer it. Please, feel free to review as normal or send me a pm. I'm sure it will be fixed soon._

 _See you crazy peeps next time!_


	45. Chapter 45

Mustang stared numbly at me as I brushed past and into his home without invitation. Feeling distinctly nervous but hoping he had enough of a sense of humor to let me stay, I toed off my shoes and slipped inside, taking in the familiar sight of his sitting room. The last time I had been here I was nothing more than a wreck, but the space felt comfortably familiar to me anyway.

The door clicked shut, causing me to jump , but I continued to casually remove my coat, revealing my emerald undershirt. I turned around with a bright grin, leaning back against the mahogany couch and crossing my arms. "I hope you don't mind, but I got a dry red. You seemed to enjoy it last time, so I picked up another bottle."

The man's dark eyes flicked to the bottle in his hand, and then his gaze fixed back on me. I shifted uncomfortably, but didn't drop my smile with some effort. Roy clearly wasn't expecting company. His shirt was unbuttoned halfway, leaving his throat and the top of his chest bare. His button down was untucked, and resting lightly over a loosened pair of lounge pants. Bare toes poked out from under the long bottoms, and his hair was ruffled messily.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" I grimaced slightly at his tone. He sounded surprised an annoyed. Oh well, too late for regrets now. I widened my eyes innocently.

"Why, visiting my favorite colonel in Central! Didn't you miss me?"

Roy's frown deepened in suspicion, clearly not impressed. The smile slipped off my face, like so much suds on a wet surface, and my shoulders slumped. I sighed deeply, looking down at the floor with a depressed frown. "Ed and Al are at the library researching stuff, and I'm a completely useless idiot who couldn't read through a geography book, much less help them understand complex concepts of alchemy."

"Ahuh," Roy grunted skeptically. "And you are _here_ because…?"

"Ah, Roy, aren't you happy to see me?" When he didn't respond other than to lift a fine brow, I bit my lip. He was going to throw me out, I could just feel it. "I'm here because…you are the only one who treats me like I'm…You're the only one who knows…" I trailed off, gesturing vaguely at myself. He remained unmoved. I slumped and looked away. Man, I was making a mess of this. Rejection clenching at my gut, I reached for my coat. "Sorry, I'll just…"

I threw my coat over my arm and hastily began to walk towards the door, my eyes glued to the floor. However, I was stopped by a deep sigh, and suddenly his voice was loud and teasing.

"You know, If I didn't know any better, I would say you were propositioning me."

Eyes widening, I looked up at the taller man hopefully. Mustang was still looking at me blankly, a thin eyebrow lifted, but the corner of his mouth twitched in a resigned, yet amused smirk. His earlier tenseness was melting from his shoulders even as I watched and relief bubbled up within me.

"And I would say you're hallucinating."

Snatching the coat from my arms, Roy hung it on the rack beside the others and ran his hand through fine black hair. With a resigned lift of his brows, he gestured me back inside and walked around the bar and into the kitchen. An absentminded flick later, and the white light of the kitchen turned on. He lifted two wine glasses from a top shelf of a cabinet.

Still feeling relieved but vaguely awkward, I followed him inside the warm space and sat on the other side of the bar, the tall leather topped bar stool comfortable beneath me. Resting my arms on the counter, I watched the older man as he popped the seal on my little gift with practiced ease, pouring himself a glass. Just like I had hoped he would, without a second thought he poured one for me as well.

inhaling deeply, I looked down at my long overdue drink, swirling it and taking in the sweet aroma. I pulled my leg up to my chest and leaned against it in contentment, relaxing into the seat. The lights dimmed to a soft orange glow, catching my attention. Mustang had turned off the sterile kitchen light and switched to the yellow teardrop lights over the bar. The man sat beside me with a huff, leaning against the counter, almost ignoring me completely.

"You just have to do everything with style, don't you?" I teased lightly.

"Would you like some mood music? I've got jazz," Mustang said with a straight face. I blushed hotly, not entirely sure if he was joking.

"You know, If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were putting the moves on me."

His thin lips pulled up into an attractive smirk. "Good thing you know better."

"Heh."

The room fell quiet for a little while. The fire crackled merrily behind us, warming our backs and making the room almost too toasty, a sharp contrast to the frigid winds outside the drawn curtains. I brought the wine to my lips and took a liberal mouthful, holding the drink in the back of my mouth for a moment to appreciate the fruity, almost bitter quality before swallowing. Feeling it warm my stomach, I let out a breathy exhale slowly, my cheeks heating as I rode out the dry finish.

"It's funny," I began softly, still avoiding looking up, "that this world can be so very different from my own, and yet little things like wine can be exactly the same."

"Are our worlds so very different?"

I smiled faintly, thinking over the question. Were they so different? The people weren't, not really. Men and women went about their daily lives trying to make a living doing what have you. The political situation was unstable, but that was the case in my own world as well. It didn't matter where you were from, the world was always on the outbreak of one war or another; whether about religion or power or fear, it didn't matter. No, in that respect, the two worlds were the same; the common man just trying to live in peace while the powers that be struggled for dominance. So much was the similar: the buildings, the shops, the way we all perceived the world around us, the love between brothers. I may have been involved in some pretty messed up stuff, but that didn't mean that genetic experimentation, bio-warfare, and the development of mass weapons of destruction didn't happen in my world.

My expression turned bitter. I was being awfully pessimistic tonight. "For one thing," I said, trying to keep it light, "where I come from, it's not legal to drink until you turn twenty one. So that's one point for Amestris."

Mustang grunted in the back of his throat, his shoulders lifting casually. "Speaking of, how did you manage to get a Fortissimo? I know for a fact that no one within twenty miles would sell to a thirteen year old kid."

"Fourteen," I corrected automatically, taking a hearty swig of wine and deliberately avoiding his question. Exhaling as if I was smoking a cigar instead of partaking in a drink, I lay my head on my knee and smirked up at him. "And I'll be fifteen in the spring."

Mustang lifted a brow, looking at me askance. "Really. I could have sworn your files say your birthday is in the summer."

"Change it for me?" I widened my eyes and blinked rapidly, trying to look as cute as possible.

Roy chuckled at my expression, but didn't answer my request. "You know, that doesn't really work all that well unless you are a woman."

Pouting , I swirled my drink. "I used to be. Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Right now? No."

"Hmph…Guess I'll have to work on my masculine charm then…"

Another lull in the conversation, then Mustang's expression became serious, our easy mood disappearing just like that. "So, you ran into a bit of trouble in Dublith." It was a statement rather than a question, as if he knew my every move. And perhaps he did. That thought was slightly unsettling.

"Where did you hear that," I mumbled, noncommittally.

"I didn't have to hear it. It's written all over your face."

"What!" I ran my hands over my face, as if expecting to find a sticky note that said 'I had a bloody affair with a homunculus' on it.

"Your eyes." Catching my expression fall in realization –I had _completely_ forgotten that inconvenient detail– he tried to assuage my fears somewhat. "Don't be too concerned. The color isn't that unusual in this country. You might come up with a reason for the change, though."

And how exactly was I supposed to do that, I thought with a sinking feeling. I was pretty sure people's eye color didn't just change on a whim in this world, though it was nice to know the light purple color wasn't so unusual. At least they didn't turn red this time, like it did when I had consumed the impure red stones. This color, at least, wouldn't cause alarm, either by freaking me out or making people think I'm Ishvalan. That was a whole can of worms I just didn't want to be involved in. "I don't suppose you people have invented colored contacts, have you?" That statement only got me a strange look. "Guess not."

Frustration filled me to the brim, despite how I tried to hold it back. If these strange alterations kept happening to me, then my secret would only get harder to keep. If Mustang could somehow deduce what happened to me in Dublith, then that meant that someone else in the military might figure it out as well. And that might be a problem. I couldn't help but think of Ed's warning to me earlier that day. It had served as a reminder that not all in the military were my friends.

As if sensing my thoughts, the man continued. "Alex, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."

"I thought you knew everything."

He shot me a look and his voice turned a tad sharp. "If I knew everything, I would have known you were going to intrude on my evening and I would have worn something a little nicer."

Abashed, I hid my blush by taking a long drink of wine. "You really are an arrogant bastard, you know that? What makes you think it's any of your business? You remind me so much of the man I used to love that it makes me sick." I wanted to do anything but talk about what happened in Dublith. Again. If he wanted to find out so bad, he could ask his bloody spy network.

Mustang, seeming to realize that I was in no mood to talk about it, dropped the subject, though I knew this wouldn't be the end of that particular conversation. "What do you mean, the man you used to love? Is he the one you told me about," he said casually, trying to distract me. It worked.

I paused, taken aback by his sudden question. And taken aback by what I had said. Used to love? Did I no longer love the man who I was bound to marry in my other life? "Yes," I said slowly. "I suppose I don't. I mean, I will always love him, but…" But how could you still be in love with someone you haven't seen in years? People change. I had changed. I was no longer the same easygoing Alexandria he fell in love with; I had been through too much. Seen too much. And there was no guarantee that he waited for me after…whatever happened to the real me.

"Will you tell me about him," Mustang said, lifting my empty glass off the counter and refilling it.

"You…want to hear about my love life," I asked, dubious.

"Not in particular." He handed the glass back and poured the rest of the bottle for himself. "But talking about your past can sometimes help you figure out what to do in the future."

I rolled my eyes. "There you go again, oh wise one. You should start charging for advice like that."

"What can I say, I have a gift."

I drank half the drink in two long drafts, exhaling sharply and setting it down. "Alright, wise guy, you asked for it. One boring life's story, coming up." I tilted my head, feeling pleasantly buzzed, and considered the best way to explain my origins without getting into cultural explanations that would confuse him. "I was born into your average middle class family, I suppose. My mom, dad, and a few close friends were my entire world, and I liked it that way."

"Despite the hopes of my parents, I was terrible at school. It's not like I didn't like it, I just didn't think it was for me, not when my talents lied in physical sports. 'Brain like a sieve', as my mom would say." I chuckled a bit a the memory of her exasperated nagging. "So I dropped out as soon as the education required by law was fulfilled. The only thing I really excelled at was martial arts, so I thought, why fill my head with all of this science and math nonsense when I could be learning how to throw a man three times my size across the room?"

At this, Mustang laughed, shaking his head. "Really? Three times your size?"

"You bet. I may have been small, but I had an attitude a mile wide and I knew where to hit where it hurts." I glared at him until he stopped laughing, although that damnable smirk never went away. "Anyway, when I dropped out of higher education, much to the displeasure of my father, I suddenly had more time on my hands than any one person needs. And that meant trouble."

"I can only imagine."

"You got that right. Let me tell you, there is nothing more destructive than a self entitled eighteen year old who is _bored_." This earned me another laugh, this time appreciated. "I guess being born in a family so close knit as mine, I sometimes felt stifled by the expectations. You know, 'become a lawyer, make lots of money', all that jazz. So, naturally, I rebelled."

"Naturally."

"Heh." Eyes glazed, I stared up at nothing in particular, thinking back. "Drinking, smoking, sleeping around, taking the odd job and dropping it on a whim, I went through the whole black pit of teenage rebellion. I'm pretty sure I would have eventually self-destructed if it wasn't for him." I gulped the rest of my wine down, thoroughly appreciating the sense of ease that came with being inebriated. "Kyle, the son of a bloody banker. He was arrogant, rude, and one of the most beautiful men I had ever laid eyes on."

"That doesn't sound like a man who would turn your life around," Mustang commented, drooping himself. Whether it was out of exhaustion or drink, I couldn't tell.

"Ha," I snorted derisively. "He didn't, not at first. We hated each other's guts. But to make a long and involved story short, our passionate hate inevitably turned into passionate attraction. And then I got pregnant a year later." Before that, I recalled fondly, our relationship had been pretty wild. But she… "She was what finally brought us both down to earth. Or rather, the thought of her…" I smiled sadly. "The thought of being a parent. You know, I actually saw the ring he was going to propose to me with. Idiot hid it in his sock drawer." I hid my face in my arm, my vision swimming and not entirely certain I wouldn't cry. It had been a long time since I thought of my family, and what could have been, and while bringing it up wasn't as painful as it used to be, it still hurt.

The sad thing was, I still held on to the desperate hope that someday I would be able to return to that life. But the more time that passed, the more I began to believe in my heart that it was an impossible dream. How could I return when so much time had been lost? No matter how much my family or Kyle had loved me, there was only so long a heart could wait for someone to return before that place was lost forever. And no matter how much I cried, there was no way for an unborn child to stand still in time.

And it wasn't only that. It was me. I was different. This world, with all of its violence and dark secrets, had ruined me for a peaceful life. Just like a soldier returning from a bloody war, I would forever be haunted by the things I had seen, and the things I had done. And I had a dreadful feeling that the worst had not yet come to pass.

"Do you really think they can do it, Roy," I said softly, my voice muffled by my sleeve. "Do you really think they can take back what they lost and make things right again?"

For a long time, the older man didn't answer. We sat in the heavy silence of the room, the fire crackling behind us and warming our backs. But the heat could not reach my frozen heart as I waited for Roy to tell me that everything would be alright, and that Edward and Alphonse would succeed and magically make the world perfect and beautiful again. But, of course, Mustang was not that kind of man.

"I don't have any easy answers for you Alex," he said in his deep voice. "The path you three have chosen is not an easy one. The road will be long and hard, and obstacles stand in your path that won't be easy to overcome. You just have to have faith."

My eyes stung, and anger bubbled up within me as his words did nothing to ease my disquiet. "I didn't choose this," I said harshly.

"Maybe not at first," he said firmly, voice steady in the face of my ire, "but you chose to stick with them. You chose to believe in them, and that there was a way to make things right again. You could have just given up and got on with your life or ended it, but you didn't. It's not in your nature."

I lifted my head to find that he was facing me, his dark eyes compelling. "How would you know," I asked weakly, my voice breaking from emotion. "You don't know me."

He looked down and away, a self deprecating smirk on his features. "I know you better than you think. Because you're just like me."

The words stopped me from making the scathing comment that was ready on my lips and it stuck in the back of my throat, choking me. I remembered what he had told me, only a week ago, about his experiences in the war. How he had done things under orders that haunted him and he had thought himself unforgivable in the face of his sins, how he had lost his humanity. And how he had almost given up, pulled the trigger and ended it all.

Had he felt the same choking misery I had when I believed I had lost everything, including myself? Had he felt the same guilt and madness that almost destroyed me?

Yes, I could see it in his eyes like a dark reflection. And yet he pulled through, stronger than before, because he believed there was a way to make it right. By finding a purpose–becoming the Furer and stopping the wars from ever happening again– he was on his way to redemption, and to making things better.

"My purpose…is to help Ed and Al get their bodies back. Because, even if I can never return to the way I was…they still have so much to live for."

"…Have you given up on yourself? Do you really believe there is no good ending for you?"

"No one can reverse time, Mustang," I said, feeling suddenly ancient. "You of all people should know that." And time was my enemy, in every sense of the word. Because even if by some miraculous happenstance Marcoh's notes held the magical means of getting my soul returned to my world, this body I inhabited now had an expiration date, and none of us knew when it would cease to function. By taking the red stone, I might be able to live longer, but in doing so in the knowledge of how it was made, I truly would lose my humanity, and not even my memories of being Alexandria would save me from that madness.

And there was _no way_ on this foreign earth I was going to wait around for Lust to turn me into a monster like her.

The colonel had no response to that, and I could see in his face that he knew I was right. "Hey, Roy?" He grunted, swallowing the last of his drink with a scowl. "Will you promise me one thing? Promise me that…if anything happens to me, you'll take care of my idiot brothers."

Mustang shot me a look, his brow furrowed almost angrily. But in contrast, his tone became light and teasing, sounding so strange in the serious atmosphere that I was taken completely off guard by what he said next. "Why, Alex, that sounds an awful lot like a goodbye. Are you breaking up with me?"

"Hah!" I slapped my hand over my mouth as laughter bubbled up, thoroughly surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. I lifted my hand, threatening to smack him, and he cringed back mockingly. "Heh, as if you could get rid of me that easily, Colonel Mustang." I smiled softly, all signs of playfulness gone. "Thank you…for listening." I stood, swaying slightly from drink, and began making my way to the door. I had stayed long past any decent hour, and it was time for me to go.

Roy followed me. "Do you need an escort home?"

I laughed softly. "I'm not a woman anymore, remember," I joked. He just looked at me sternly. "I'll be fine. There is hardly anything left in this world that could be a danger to me now," I said with bitterness.

Mustang stared at me for a long moment with his dark, unreadable eyes. But then he handed me my coat and opened the door without further protest.

Pulling it on, I stepped out into the freezing night, taking a deep sobering breath. The cold stung my lungs, but cleared my head effectively. Before I could leave, the dark haired man stopped me with his voice.

"Alex. You have my word." I paused, glancing back over my shoulder. Mustang was leaning against the doorframe, all disheveled clothes and flushed cheeks, looking every bit the playboy he seemed. But the command and conviction in his tone were every bit the man and leader I knew him to be. Suddenly, he smiled roguishly. "Next time you want to stop by, call first." With that last, he stepped back into his house and closed the door, leaving me smirking in the snow.

 _Ah, that was kind of a Sam Gamgee moment, wasn't it? You know, "How could the ending possibly be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was after so much bad had happened?" Heh, that was a good movie. Well, now we know why Alex likes alcohol so much. He was a partier! Haha._

 _Next chapter: Alex learns some new ways to control his strength, and Edward and Alphonse learn a terrible truth that just might break them all._

 _To those of you that are sticking with me, thanks! To those of you that have fallen off the face of the earth, I miss you! To my new readers, welcome!_

 ** _Extended author's note if you are interested. Warning: long, so if you are baking cookies, you might skip it._**

 _Before I go any further in this story, I want to address something in the area of romance and gender identity. Alex is in a very complex and nearly unprecedented character. His soul is of a woman in her mid-twenties, his body appears to be in its early teenage years, but his physical age is only three. If you will recall, I did this on purpose in the very beginning because I found the idea of someone with no social precedent intriguing. I also loved the fact, for drama's sake, that he was taken away from strong familial commitments._

 _Not only is his soul of a sexually and emotionally experienced woman, but one who was about to be a mother and wife. In that respect, it would only make sense that he would be attracted to older men his same mental age. At the same time, he appears to be fifteen, and has become a young man. With that comes the pressures of Amestris's beliefs in who is appropriate for a young man that age to be romantically involved with, compounded by Alex's own ingrained beliefs of propriety. And then, he's actually only physically three. But even if that was a known fact, he would not be restricted by what was perceived as appropriate for a toddler, because he does not appear to be a toddler. Hm, very tricky indeed. There is no way, no direction to turn in that would not break some social norm or other. While I do not intend to make romance a major theme in this story (that's what one-shots are for), it is very possible that Alex will fall in love with another character, IF it feels natural for the flow of the plot. And there is no appropriate choice that would not offend someone or other, both in the story and real life._

 _Just so you know, I'm not out to make some big political statement or sway anyone one way or the other. I'm doing this for fun, and because I think it is interesting. I will write it in a way I think the character I have built would really react and it will be interesting to see the kinds of responses I will get no matter which way Alex chooses._

 _On another note, for the sake of my continued creativity, I will be writing a series of one shots featuring SubSoul verse that will focus on romance and missing moments that didn't necessarily happen in my story. Basically I will just let my imagination and my characters go wild, completely unrealistic to this plot, but fun anyway. It will range from explicit romance to funny cracks, so there will be something for everyone. There will be warnings at the beginnings of explicit chapters, so if you have virgin eyes or don't like a pairing, you can just skip those and go on to the next. I certainly won't be offended. These will just be for me to both answer some of my reviewers' wishes and exercise my crazy muse so I can finish this trilogy without going mad. I'm going to start with some that have already been mentioned in reviews and go from there, so if you really want to see something happen, just let me know._

 _Anyway, I will never write another AN this long again. See you next time!_


	46. Chapter 46

The room was utterly silent as the clock ticked on. The sun had long fallen under the horizon, and the room was lit by the harsh white light of academia from the slowly turning fan overhead. The spinning blades were on low, so as not to disturb the many pages littering the large table at which the two brothers sat. The once neat piles of books, meticulously organized by subject at the first, were now strewn over the dark wooden surface haphazardly, each book either thrown open to a relevant page or on the floor, discarded. Interspersed between the materials were hastily scrawled and messy notes, the words and symbols hardly discernible to those who did not know the young man's particular hand.

Neither boy had looked up from their positions for hours, devouring knowledge and referencing obscure facts faster than any two beings should be able. Yet their determination was what drove them to ignore all else in their frantic search. They finally had the lead they needed, and there was little that could distract them now.

Eventually though, Alphonse had to stop with a sigh. He placed the book he was currently perusing on the floor next to his foot where his other rejects lay, and looked over the room. It was a mess, and he began absently gathering his own scrawled notes into a neat pile. He had not been able to find much. The library's resources were frustratingly slim in the way of information about the red stone. He couldn't say if it was because it was a crime to make them and the information had been removed, or that it was being covered up for some other purpose. Whatever the reason, Alphonse was having a particularly hard time tracking down any real facts that they did not already know. He was beginning to believe that the search in the library on this subject would be futile.

Furious scribbling across the room caught his attention, and the suit of armor noticed with some amusement that Edward had not stayed at the large table. Instead, he had left a path of destruction and discarded papers all the way to the couch, which he now sat on. Marcoh's notes lay haphazardly on the small table before him. Books littered the seats beside him, all on the subjects of code breaking, no doubt, and he scribbled rapidly in his journal, one of many others that could be seen filled to the brim around the room. Edward's golden eyes were intense with focus, and even though they looked achingly dry, he did not blink. His entire body was tensed with his concentration, and every once in a while he would mumble inaudibly to himself, and scratch out a particular line or other. It was not unlike the time the two had studied for the alchemy exam, nearly two years ago.

And just like that time, it was up to Alphonse to break his brother out of his knowledge hungry daze and make sure he ate. Otherwise, he thought, the fool would pass out before he rested. It had happened before. Silently, so as not to disturb his intense sibling, Alphonse eased to his feet and walked to the door. It would be another few hours before Edward finally wore himself out enough to sleep, so the boy resolved to at least feed him something.

With a soft tap, the alchemist pushed the door open and stepped out. Ross and Brosh were still there, much to his surprise, and he was greeted tersely by the former.

"Don't you two have releifs," he asked with slight concern. After all, they would be there all night at least, and possibly even all of the next day before Edward finally admitted he needed a shower and proper bedrest. Belatedly, he wondered where his other brother had gotten off too. Feeling a tad guilty, he realized he hadn't noticed when he other boy left.

Ross shook her head, looking embarrassed for the oversight. "We expected you to return to the barracks for the night. I see now that we should have arranged a second shift."

"Ah," Al said, feeling vaguely bad for their unpredictable natures. It would have made sense to assume they would retire at the base at some point.

"Not to worry, sir, we will have proper coverage by the morning. Especially if you two insist on staying at the library for several more days."

"That's good. You shouldn't push yourselves so hard." Beside him, Brosh just groaned. A quick glare from Ross showed that the officer would have given up long ago if it wasn't for the strict and stubborn nature of his partner. Ignoring this, Alphonse bowed in quick apology. "Sorry for the trouble."

He began to walk down the hall when Ross's concerned voice stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to see if I can get brother some food. He hasn't eaten in half a day and he will insist on staying up all night." Al continued to walk as he talked, and he only heard an irritated huff of breath before a hand firmly placed on his shoulder plate pulled him to a halt gently. He turned to regard the frowning woman, somewhat bemused.

"I will go. It's not safe for you to wander the streets at night." With that, the serious lieutenant sent a stern look over her shoulder at her wilted partner. He nodded, waving her off, and she swiftly disappeared around the corner.

Feeling as though he had been reprimanded, Alphonse slowly walked back to the room. Before he went inside, he paused by Brosh's side. "Um, did I do something to offend her? She seemed angry."

Brosh shook his head, rubbing at his eyes tiredly and causing another stab of guilt to course through the boy. "No, she's just a bit miffed that young Alex told her he wasn't her concern." He smiled ruefully. "She takes her duty very seriously and has a protective streak a mile wide. Just humor her."

Nodding, but deciding to think that over very carefully, Alphonse pushed back into the study room and closed the door quietly behind him. Edward was just where he left him, hunched over the coffee table like a gargoyle. Trusting that Ross would return with food soon, the boy wandered over to his seat and leaned back into it.

He looked out the window into the dark night, feeling a bit annoyed that Alex had wandered off again without telling them. Or maybe he had, and the two were to absorbed to pay attention. It wasn't unheard of. Still, a spike of worry coursed through him at the thought of Alex being alone out there. Again. He would be having stern words with the young man when he returned. At the very least he needed some guards to watch his back.

Alphonse allowed his mind to drift, feeling inclined to take a break from his many hours of fruitless studying. In his wonderings, his thoughts unconsciously turned back to Resembool, and some fond memories of the place. In his travels over the years, he hadn't quite realized just how much he had missed his hometown until he had stepped foot into it again. And Winry, his dearest childhood friend, was becoming more beautiful by the day. He had seen the way Edward was looking at her, and wondered absent mindedly if she still harbored the feelings against dating someone shorter than her. Al chuckled lightly to himself. That would surely break Edward's heart all over again if she still did. After all, he had hardly grown a few inches, as opposed to Alex who seemed to grown taller by the day.

Alphonse wondered a bit at why that might be. Was Ed's growth stunted by the automail? That alone was a sad thought, and the boy hoped that wasn't the case. It could be that Edward just took more after their mother than Hohenheim, with her more delicate frame. Did that mean that Alphonse took more after their father?

In another thought process entirely, Alphonse tried to visualize the image of himself, which was still his body at age ten. He had long since stopped imagining Alex as his body. The resemblance was getting farther and farther in his mind as Alex grew up and became his own person while Alphonse was locked in time. _Both_ of them were leaving him behind, Al reflected in a wave of depression. He had felt it most acutely when Alex came back from his trip, and had spoken in a deep voice that almost sounded alien to Alphonse's ears. He was beginning to sound more like Edward, only with a softer cadence like Alphonse himself. Just when had the boy's voice deepened and changed, and just when did his shoulders broaden and his legs lengthen, standing solidly at Alphonse's chest plate? Edward had changed too, his round boyish face becoming lean, his fine cheekbones prominent, and his chest beginning to fill out the black shirts he so loved to wear. Alphonse could even see the faint beginnings of facial hair on the boy's cheeks, fine blond like the hair on the rest of him. He would have to begin shaving soon…

Alphonse violently tried to dislodge the depressing thoughts his mind was turning to in the silence, but he could not dissuade the jealousy he was feeling, unbidden. It wasn't fair. He should be growing alongside them, not trapped in time like he was. It was times like these when he thought, really considered–

 _It's times like these when he feels like he's not even real._

The thought idled through him like a poison as something he had never allowed himself to consider became a fully formed concept in his mind. He thought back to just recently in Resembool, when he saw a young woman who was supposedly his friend. He could not remember her at all, no matter how hard he tried. What about the others? Surely he had had many friends growing up. Resembool may have been widespread, but there were plenty of children to play with. He tried to remember, to pull up anything, but it seemed as if he could only see vague images, Edward and Winry the only two who stood out clearly. It was almost as if–

 _It was almost as if his memories before his transference were fake._

No, that couldn't be true. His memories of Edward and Winry were so clear, even though everyone else was blurry. And Pinako!

 _What if Winry and Pinako are in on it too?_

That's–that's–in on what exactly? That Edward had created him? That there was never an Alphonse Elric? That was…absurd. Alphonse shook his head, his helmet clanking loudly, but it could not drown out the insistent whispers in his mind. _What if Alphonse Elric was never real? What if Alex was Ed's real brother and you're just a fake?_ Where were these poisonous thoughts _coming_ from?

Completely oblivious to the inner struggles of his youngest brother, Edward leaned back with a groan and closed his stinging eyes for a moment. Instantly, his moister deprived orbs began to water and burn, causing him to grimace. Dramatically, he cracked his neck, then his flesh fingers in sharp snaps, then shook them loose. "Ugh, I'm not getting anywhere with this. That Marcoh knew his stuff. Hey, Al–"

Edward cut himself off as he looked around the room and spotted his younger brother staring out of the window, completely still and not responding to his voice at all. "Al? Are you alright?" Slowly, the suit of armor turned his head to regard him, and Edward felt a thrill of worry, not able to sense what mood his younger brother was in at all. He seemed…off. "Al…?"

Eventually, the youngest Elric spoke, his voice sounding uncharacteristically dull. "Ed, did I have any friends?"

Edward's eyebrows drew together in concern, taken aback by the question. Carefully he smiled, not sure he liked where this was going. "Of course you had friends."

"Then why can't I remember them?" Before Edward could do more than make a shocked expression, Al looked back out the window. "There was a girl in Resembool who Winry said I used to be friends with, but I didn't remember her at all. I try to remember, but it's hazy. I think… I think there's something wrong with me."

Old guilt, and a sudden panic seized the blond for a moment, and he had to force his racing heart to slow down. He held his smile with some effort. "Al, you know how memories work. You've had a lot of new experiences, and things just pile up. It's natural for memories to fade over time."

Alphonse just shook his head, refusing to look Edward in the eye. The older boy slumped, guilt and sympathetic pain filling him at his brother's forlorn visage. He dropped his head in shame. "Hey Al?" He heard Al's armor clank, but did not dare look up. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time but…"

"What is it?"

"Dammit, it's just, I'm scared of what your reaction would be…"

"Tell me."

Edward grit his teeth, taking a calming breath. "You see, I–"

A loud bang shattered the quiet as the door swung open loudly, startling them both. Alex, who Ed had only just realized was missing, strode into the room dragging a flustered Ross by her sleeve. With a broad grin, the boy shouted, "Hello brothers mine, I come bearing gifts!" His cheeks were flushed, and his words slightly slurred, a detail Edward zeroed in on immediately. He looked around blearily. "Wow, guys, you made a mess~ I never knew studying could be so violent!"

"What the hell!? Alex, are you drunk!?" Ed immediately shot to his feet in outrage, pointing an accusing finger at the clearly inebriated boy.

"Hhhow rude," Alex said, leaning forward, his eyes half mast and cheeks reddened. "I'll have you know that I have excshellent tolerance for someone my age!"

Ross made an affronted face behind him, snatching back her sleeve which she had been wholly unable to do earlier. Alex was surprisingly strong. "You've been drinking?! You're only thirteen!" Disapproval and righteous indigence verily dripped from her voice. Brosh leaned into the room, wondering what the fuss was about.

"Fourteen," Alex said to the world at large. "We decshided!"

Completely ignoring the strange look he got from Ross at that slip, Alex snatched the small package from her hand and held it out to Edward triumphantly. "Sandwiches for us all! Eat, it's been, like, forever!"

Edward snatched the package away and threw it to the table, refusing to be sidetracked. "Who the hell allowed you to drink!? I swear, once I get my hands on whatever fool bartender thought it was a good idea to let _you_ near alcohol–"

He was cut off by Alex's uncontrolled giggling. "Heh, Roy, a bartender? Roy the bartender! Serving boy Roy, ahaha!"

Edward saw red. "Roy, as in Roy _fucking_ Mustang!? I swear the next time I get my hands on that bastard…!"

With a sigh, Alphonse stood up and ushered a very confused looking Ross out the door. But not before Ross got an earful of Alex whining "No, don't hurt Roy! He's the only one who treats me like a woman~"

Edward's angry exclamation was cut off with the sharp snap of the door closing. Al put his forefinger and thumb to the ridge between his eyes, as if pinching his nose, and groaned.

"Wha– Mustang? Did he just say–" Ross was blushing a charming red, her mouth agape, staring wide eyed at the now closed door where the two voices could just barely muffle through. Brosh was covering his eyes, his ears flushed, and trying his best to unhear what he thought he just heard.

"Um, no, it's not what you think," Al tried to placate, waving his hands before his chest. But even he was coming up blank for a plausible explanation. He had suspected that Mustang knew Alex's story, but how was he supposed to explain what Alex meant to two clueless people? "Alex just, um, gets that way when he's drunk."

Avoiding Ross's disbelieving gaze, Alphonse ducked back into the room, just barely dodging a thrown book. Alex was laughing and jumping around the room like a monkey and Edward was chasing after him, throwing whatever he could get his hands on and huffing like an enraged bull.

Leave it to Alex to destroy the drama. Shaking his head in disbelief, Al first snagged one boy by the collar, then the other before shaking them both. "Brother, eat your sandwich," he commanded, dropping his older brother on the couch unceremoniously. Ed landed with a grunt and a comically surprised expression. "Alex, sober up!" He dragged the other boy to the other side of the room and dropped him in a heap in the corner. Alex just fell limply.

Alphonse strode to the middle of the room and crossed his arms, standing menacingly between them, incensed that Alex had come back–drunk!– and interrupted them. And maybe even a bit…relieved that he had.

Grumbling, and seeing that Al wouldn't budge, the two boys settled into their appointed tasks, glaring at each other past their large brother when they thought he wasn't paying attention.

ox0xo

The next morning, when Edward woke promptly at dawn, I was immediately thrown out of the study room when I opened my mouth to whine that I was bored. He…wasn't amused, to say the least. Probably still angry about last night. I hadn't realized I had imbibed so much. Belatedly, I remembered that wine in particular worked slowly, and lasted longer than other alcohols, at least for me. I blushed, slightly embarrassed to remember my behavior, but shrugged it off soon after. I had done worse while drunk.

I huffed, massaging my rear end on the floor where Edward had thrown me. A very tired Ross and Brosh greeted me, the former helping me to my feet and transferring a liberal dose of annoyance. "Serves you right," the woman said, pulling me roughly to my feet. "With all that fuss you made last night, I'm surprised they didn't kick you out sooner." She was blushing lightly, and I was reminded of some of the absurd things I said in her presence. Oops. I hoped they wouldn't start any weird rumors about me and Mustang. I didn't think the older man would appreciate it.

"Um, yeah, about that…" She held a hand in my face, stopping my words.

"I _don't_ want to know."

I grinned suddenly, emboldened by her response. "Really, because it's _quite_ the tale–" Behind me, Brosh grimaced and I had to laugh at his beset upon expression.

All of us turned as three serious looking men in uniform walked around the corner. Brosh sighed in relief and gave them a friendly wave. His greeting was returned, somewhat more subdued. They stopped in front of us and saluted Ross. "Sir, we are your relief for the next six hours."

Ross acknowledged the salute with one of her own and drooped tiredly. "Thank goodness," she moaned with a relieved smile. Her expression became serious. "You," she pointed to one of the men, blond and heavyset, and gestured to me. "Watch this one. He tends to slip off." Ignoring my indignant squawk–Ross clearly believed that I was her problem, despite my words prior– she and Brosh stumbled down the hall, exhausted.

Grumbling to myself, but gesturing to the stern faced man anyway, I walked down the hall, shadow in tow and the other two standing diligently at the door behind which my brothers would study the day away.

I smiled to myself, suddenly amused, and picked up my step. I had a phone call to make. I had promised, after all.

ox0xo

Aforementioned Roy Mustang stood in his backyard, shivering in the cold in annoyance, wondering how exactly, in a hung over state and on his _day off,_ was he stuck with a bouncing teenager in his face, demanding he train him, and a taciturn guard standing long sufferingly to the side. Roy exchanged an annoyed glance with the man, as if Alex's intrusion was his fault. The man saluted sharply, then gestured helplessly before standing guard.

At least the annoying boy had called this time. Although how he had gotten Roy's personal phone number was beyond him. That was classified, dammit! He was not expecting the kid (not really a kid, he reminded himself, but a meddlesome woman, even _worse_ ) to call so damn soon. And how exactly was Alex demanding Roy give his day off up to show him some tricks more polite than just showing up unannounced, anyway? He was really beginning to regret the promise to help the boy he had made a week prior, he thought as he glared at the barely risen sun. At least he hadn't been half naked this time. That would have really given Alex's shadow something to gossip about at the barracks.

"Aw, come on, Roy! You promised," Alex wheedled, giving his best puppy dog eyes.

Roy grimaced. And just when had he given the brat permission to use his first name? Last night he hadn't really noticed, but…Alex's eyes started to glisten, and dammit all if it wasn't just as effective if he had been a woman. "Alright, alright, I did promise. I'll train you, brat, but don't make a habit of showing up so damn early in the morning or I swear…"

The boy's face lit up like it was his birthday come early and Roy exhaled with exaggerated slowness. He rustled the blond's hair violently, shaking it loose from its tie, and ignored his startled yelp. Waiting until the kid was properly disheveled, Roy pulled back his hand, satisfied at Alex's angrily flushed cheeks.

Ever so delicately, the vain man began to pull on his gloves, tugging it down finger by finger until both transmutation circles stood out starkly and without wrinkles on the back of his fists. Making sure he had a, albeit grumbling, rapt audience, he casually snapped the fingers of his right hand and conjured a small flame. Roy held it for several seconds, almost to the point where his body began to feel the strain, then allowed it to grow bright and white hot, until it flashed almost blindingly above their heads. Alex threw an arm over his eyes at the last second, feeling the intense wave of heat assault his body, before looking back out with wide eyes.

Gratified at his response, Mustang preened inwardly. But his expression became serious. "Pay attention, because I'll only tell you this once. Flame Alchemy, although one of the most powerful arts out there, is very volatile and dangerous. It takes a vast amount of concentration and precision to be able to control the oxygen in the air in order to direct the flame, and if that concentration wavers for even an instant," he paused for effect, "it could grow out of control and destroy everything around me."

Alex was watching with wide red-violet eyes, still stunned by the casual display of power, no doubt. "The reason it is so difficult is because I have to _hold it back_. Your strength seems much the same way."

The boy's expression became grim, and Mustang knew he was probably remembering the few times he had lost control. That's right, he thought, remember it. Sometimes your worst memories were the greatest motivators.

"It's not going to be easy, but I will teach you _precision_. I will knock out the usual tendency of hand to hand combat to use brute force. You no longer have that option. What you need is _control_."

Mustang braced himself for the usual innuendo from the cheeky teen, but Alex surprised him. Placing his upright palm over his enclosed left fist in a gesture the colonel did not recognize, the youth bowed deeply and respectfully, not breaking eye contact through his blond lashes. "Please teach me…Master."

Roy Mustang stood in stunned silence for several long seconds. Did he really just–And so seriously! Before the colonel could get himself properly worked up, ego stoked greatly, the impertinent kid smirked, breaking his serious mask.

"You brat…!" Roy mushed his hand into Alex's face, knocking the giggling kid on his ass, before snapping some nonexistent lint of his shirt. "Just for that, I'm not letting you go until you can't _walk straight_." With a glint in his black eyes, Roy watched as his blatant innuendo caused Alex to blush, then snapped, "Get up. We've got work to do." If Alex thought he could get one up on the 'master', no pun intended, then he had another thing coming. He watched as his young friend and charge got to his feet and began to show him why he was one of the most feared alchemists in the country.

Alex trained, Mustang graciously sacrificing his afternoons (not that he seemed to mind the escape from paperwork) and providing Alex with techniques he could use to control his new strength. Alphonse and Edward continued to research frantically, Al joining his brother when his search on the red stone turned up frustratingly fruitless. Eight days passed by in a blur. And then…Edward cracked the code.

 _Dundunduuuuun. Next there will be much angst. Yay! Alphonse is finally starting to have some doubts. Oh my. And Roy's and Alex's friendship grows with a healthy dose of respect._

 _Haha, I laughed out loud as I was writing the drunk scene. Looks like his talk with Mustang cheered him up considerably, making him act a bit silly._

 _Next Chapter: the boys despair. Have they chosen the wrong path!?_

 _Thanks, bye!_


	47. Chapter 47

I sauntered slowly down the hall in Central Library 1st Branch, feeling as content as the current circumstances allowed. Central City had warmed up a bit, melting the snow and clearing the dreary clouds that usually hovered overhead. The sun showed brightly through the windows, lifting my spirits.

A rustling in my bag alerted me that Jäger was stirring and I patted him through the fabric absentmindedly. He had been doing that for a few days now, ever since the sun had decided to show it's face. I'd been alternating between carrying him in my bag, or when he had the energy, against my chest where he liked to cling. He was looking a bit odd to me lately, as if his skin was too tight. I noticed slight discolorations and wondered if he wouldn't molt like a snake. That would be interesting to watch, at the very least. I couldn't wait until it was warmer and he would finally join the land of the living so we could really get to know each other. It had only been about a month since we met, and the novelty of having a lizard cat had definitely not worn off. I was looking forward to having him around.

But alas, it was still too cold, only about 35F, despite the sun's valiant effort. I ripped off a piece of my burden and tried to tempt him with it, but he merely flicked his large ear in annoyance and curled tighter into my messenger bag. I chuckled a little and put the flap down. At least I seemed to have tireless strength, otherwise I would have gotten tired of carrying him around by now.

Speaking of strength, my training with Mustang was going quite well. While strict in his own right, I was finding him to be an easier instructor than Orkan or Izumi. Precision training, while mentally challenging, was not as intense as the combat training I had received in the past. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

 _Learn control by mastering your movements. It's not about having power, it's about directing it._

I smiled as one of Mustang's favorite mantras drifted through my mind. Under his tutelage, in which he taught me many methods of slowing down, really _thinking_ about my movements until they were second nature, I was starting to relax into my new strength. I was beginning to feel…no longer fearful of my power. It was slow going, but worth every second. Mustang would never know just what a gift he was giving me by teaching me that control. Or maybe he did. Sometimes he just gave me this look, as if he understood…

That might have been because, despite everything, we were becoming close friends. We had both opened up to each other, whether out of necessity or not, and I was grateful for it. Talking with Mustang made me feel like a huge weight was lifted from me. I never had to hold back, because he knew me, knew all I was. And it was gratifying to have that part of me acknowledged after all this time. For his part he seemed to enjoy teaching me for all his grumbling, even going so far as to jokingly demand I start wearing his crest like I wore Orkan's and Izumi's. I chuckled. Arrogant bastard.

But it wasn't all fun and games. Mustang was worried, I could feel it every time we came in contact, however lightly. There was a preoccupation in his words and shadows under his eyes that hinted that something was coming. He could joke and bluster all he wanted, but he couldn't hide it. Not from me.

And it wasn't just Roy. Hughes, Armstrong and even Barret, for all his emotionless persona, bore the same look. Something was stirring within the ranks of the military, and it seemed to have the entire city on edge.

I shook off those dark thoughts. Today was a good day, and I wasn't going to ruin it by brooding.

I rounded the final corner, Ed and Al's study room only a few doors away, and was greeted by the now familiar sight of Ross, Brosh, and two more guards stationed outside the room. I gave a small wave, one handed because of my burden, and was greeted with one of Ross's small conservative smiles.

"Welcome back, Alex."

I stopped in front of them, ignoring my shadow as he quietly joined the guards across the hall. I would be glad when this Scar business was over and I could ditch the babysitters. Unfortunately, the man had not been spotted since we fought him a month ago.

"Hey Ross, Brosh," I nodded to them friendly-like. "Any changes?" Over the past week, we had developed somewhat of an easy familiarity, even if it was still a bit formal.

Brosh sighed. "Absolutely none. I really wish they would find whatever they are looking for so we can go home."

I grimaced. "I feel you. As much as I like playing with my friends in Central, I would really like to…" Move on. Do something. I couldn't really say, but the stalemate we were in now was setting my teeth on edge. Shaking it off, I gave them a brilliant grin and gestured to my burden; a basket of freshly baked bread and snacks. "Would you guys like any? I got them from Mrs. Hughes when I went to visit. She insisted I bring some along for everyone when I told her about you lot having to hang around us all the time." I had been going to visit Gracia, Elicia and Nina every day since returning to Central. I was trying to give Nina as much attention as possible before I had to go on a long journey again. I was really starting to love that child with all my heart. My eyes glazed over at the thought of just how big she was getting, and the thought that I could see a marked improvement in her smile every time I visited. She was healing so well…

"Mrs. Hughes? As in, Lieutenant Colonel Hughes' wife," Ross said, somewhat shocked.

"Well, yeah, the Hughes' are great friends of mine." Ignoring the flabbergasted expressions of the guards, probably for my having close associations with so many elite of the military, I handed them both a snack and offered some to the men across the hall as well. I made sure to take a bite for myself. Even though I no longer needed to eat, I still couldn't pass up Gracia's wonderful cooking.

"DAMMIT!"

A furious shout and a loud crash from my brothers' room caused me to jump violently in surprise. Before I even knew what was happening, Ross had whipped out her gun and cracked the door open to peer inside. She held a hand to hold back the other men as she took in the situation. Her shoulders relaxed just a smidgen later, and while the men backed off to their positions once more I came up to her side, looking into the room as well.

Edward was hunched over the table, notes scattered in every direction. His expression was terrifying, and with a worried frown I moved to push open the door to find out what was making him look so anguished.

Before I could throw it open though, I paused at what he said next, his voice filled with nearly as much despair as when I first met him. I shivered deeply in trepidation at his tone, my hand hovering uselessly at the door's edge. "All this time…all these years of searching and sacrificing," Edward's voice was trembling, only a strangled whisper, "this is the answer we get?"

"Brother," Al whimpered, his voice sounding more young than I had heard it in a long time.

"The secret, Al. The last ingredient of the stone. It's live human beings."

"…" Silence swallowed those outside of the door, and my heart skipped so strongly that my breathing stuttered almost painfully. _What…?_

 _The last ingredient of the stone…is live humans._

 _The last ingredient…_

A deep breath...and then my world went cold. Muscles froze and ice crept through my veins. All my contentment, all my fragile happiness, was gone in on terrible moment, ripping my remaining hope to shreds. Hardly registering the horrified gasp of the woman beside me, I stumbled back, my irises contracted in a sudden surge of directionless adrenaline. The basket fell from my nerveless fingers and my heart leapt into my throat, choking me. Vision darkening on the edges, my conciseness blocked out the rest of the world so that I could only process Edward's despaired expression and the horrible truth of what had caused it.

 _Live humans…_ A shaking hand over my mouth barely held back the nauseated moan that forced it's way out of my throat.

 _No…!_

"Just when I thought–" Edward released a strangled sob, his voice cracking at the seams. "Just when I thought it was within our grasp…!"

The world ripped out from under me, and I almost heard the cruel laugh of Fate, or Truth, or _whatever_ , mocking me as I fell. I stumbled through the door, legs feeling like they could find no purchase, and when Ed looked up at me…I collapsed to me knees.

His golden eyes were anguished, filled with despair and consuming guilt as his hopes were shattered. I could see the terrible truth in his gaze and in the trembling slump of Al's shoulders.

We'd been had.

There was no holy grail that would make the world right again. There was no way to undo the wrong that had been done.

In order to become whole, we would have to become mass murderers.

There was no way. No hope.

I was going to die.

ox0xo

 _Creak._

The sun was deep in the sky, casting its golden glow over the room in which we now resided. We had removed ourselves from the study room after learning the secret to our downfall, and depression hung like a heavy blanket over the three of us.

 _Creak._

There were two beds in this room, a couch, and a small coffee table. It was the one my brothers and I had been staying at in the library, but it had only been used by Edward the rare times he had actually dragged himself away from the notes. Now, there was no more need for the other room, so here we were. Edward lay on the couch, his coat removed, baring his shoulders to the cold air, but he didn't seem to care. His eyes were blankly staring at the slowly turning ceiling fan above him without seeing it. Alphonse sat against the back of the couch, his head lolling forward, completely still in the silence only broken by the squeaky turn of the fan blades that none of us could be assed enough to stop.

 _Creeeeak_.

I sat slumped against a bed to the side of the coffee table, the glow from the late afternoon sun reflecting off my face and the rest of my body in shadow. I clutched a hibernating Jäger to my chest carefully, seeking comfort from his warm, rough skin, though the small form could provide me with little, oblivious as he was to the waking world.

I felt lost. The philosopher's stone had been my only hope, our only lead after three years of searching, for salvation. Even the tentative and wavering belief that I would somehow return home and survive this world had been the only thread keeping me going most days. Now that was gone, and I felt cast adrift in a frozen sea from the shock of losing it.

It served me right. I should have known better. I was an adult and I shouldn't have believed in fairy tales. I _knew_ that things in life that seem too good to be true usually were. How many times had I learned that in my old life? And this one? _Especially_ this one. I had placed my hopes for salvation in that abhorrent devil's errand we had been warned against repeatedly, and this was where it got me.

After several hours, Edward was the first of us who spoke. But even then, it was only for a diatribe of self pity. "God must really hate those who commit taboo," he said, his voice low and dark. "I was only eleven then, and he still has me marked like a lamb for slaughter."

Neither Al nor I reacted to his words. We were silent, like the only answer ever received for a prayer.

"Every time we felt it was within our reach, He's pulled it away so that I fall flat on my face." He lifted his steel hand to the ceiling with a slight clank of metal, and then he clenched it into a fist. "And then, when I finally got my fist around it, finally tried to lift us out of the dark, He raises his big obnoxious foot and kicks me in the teeth.

Just face it Al, it's going to be like this our whole lives. We will never atone for what we did, and we will never crawl out of this hell."

Edward's self pity left an acrid taste in my mouth, and bitterness filled me. So we really were giving up. For the second time, this alchemist would leave me for dead, despite all he proclaimed to love me. Because I _would_ die. If I wasn't returned to my world soon, this body would expire and I would cease to exist. It was cruel, this fate. I wanted to scream that we should still try to do _something_ , that I didn't want it to end like this, but…I had given up as well. I just wasn't willing to go that far to save myself. No one should have to die for me. I had already been forced to take enough life…

"Don't say that," Alphonse said, turning to face a bitter Edward. Ed merely turned away from him.

"I really thought it would all work out, little brother. That we would find the philosopher's stone and somehow it would all be okay…"

"It still will be," Al insisted, ever the optimistic of us three. "We'll find the philosopher's stone, brother. And we'll get our bodies back, and Alex won't have to die."

Edward twitched, his body going tight. He sat up slowly and turned his jaded eyes on me. I did not meet them. I didn't want to see his damn guilt turned in my direction.

"Alex…"

"Don't," I whispered, curling into myself and withdrawing from the waning sunlight completely. I didn't want to hear it.

We continued on in the heavy silence. Ross tried to get us to eat, but we wouldn't budge. She left in disappointment with a worried frown.

ox0xo

Some time later, the light was switched on. Neither Edward nor I had moved, but Al, no longer able to take the silence, began gathering Marcoh's notes in his big leather hands.

"Brother, let's look at it again," he said, trying for the second time to pull Edward out of his depression. "Maybe we missed something."

"I've had enough," Ed said resignedly, not turning to look.

"But maybe our code was wrong, and that's not really what it says!"

"Al," Edward growled in warning, but Alphonse's voice only became more insistent.

"We should read the whole thing again–"

"I said enough!" Ed spun angrily and swiped his hand through the air, slapping teacup in the process. As if watching in slow motion, the three of us tracked the cup in shock as it shattered noisily off of Alphonse's face with Edward's unintentional anger.

Alphonse whimpered in distress at the same time I gave a strangled "Ed!"

"Brother…?"

Ross threw open the door a second later, stepping right into the middle of our tension. She took in the scene with open concern. "What happened," she exclaimed, Brosh stepping in behind her.

For a second, none of us moved. Then we turned away, Edward in shame and me in resignation. "It was nothing, just a broken cup…sorry Al."

"…" Ross stared between the three of us, taking in Edward's disheveled appearance, the downcast turn of my red-violet eyes, and the painful slump in Alphonse's shoulders. And she finally had enough.

I could see it as her eyes turned from concern, to annoyance, and then to resolve. She began to pick up the paper's scattered about the floor, ignoring Edward as he glared dully, clearly wanting her to leave us to our misery. He was not given that luxury.

"So that's it then Edward? You are just giving up?" Silence met her words, Edward refusing to be goaded, though his eyes sparked dangerously before fading back to apathy. When she received no response, she merely continued her task, aligning the accursed pages with her hands. "You won't regret it then? Just giving up before you finish? That's interesting, I didn't think what you were searching for was so incidental you would abandon it so easily."

"What the _hell_ do you know?" Ed said dully, avoiding her accusing gaze.

Her visage turned sharp. "I know that the final ingredient to the philosopher's stone is human lives."

Ed turned a dangerous gaze on her. "You were eavesdropping." Ross did not deny this. "Then you should know, there's no point in pursuing it now."

He began to turn away, but Ross snapped the pages down on the table sharply. "You are such a damn kid, Ed." Brosh just about turned green with shock as the usually calm and collected officer cursed at a superior.

Edward verily growled at her impertinence, but Ross did not back down. "You are just going to give up when you are so close? Are you just going to abandon your brothers to their fates?"

The enraged blonde surged to his feet, swiping his hand through the air angrily. "You don't know anything!"

Ross stood as well, her deadly calm a sharp contrast to his typhoon. She stood at attention, but refused to look away from his eyes. "I know you're afraid. You are terrified to admit that all your work, all your sacrifices, were for nothing. You're afraid that all the answers will disappear."

I blinked slowly as I watched the confrontation, sending a worried look to Alphonse. But the boy only had eyes for Ross, her words obviously affecting him.

"Am I wrong?'

Our older brother seemed to crumple in on himself as the truth of her words crushed him. His shoulders began shaking. She was right. And it _hurt_ that everything until now was for _nothing_. What had our pain and sacrificing amounted to? What had it been worth? This? I…I couldn't believe that.

Ross's voice softened, and her eyes became compassionate. "It's okay." She extended the papers as Edward allowed his hand to fall, revealing his aggrieved eyes. "The world does not always work in white and black. It's okay to feel lost, and not have reasons. I think that verifying whether Marcoh's notes are the truth or not is worth it in and of itself. After all, what you are looking for is bigger than just you three. Don't give up just yet."

Edward stared at the papers extended out to him for a moment, not moving. I could see the great struggle in his soul, his hand wanting to reach out and take the chance that it really would be okay, despite all we now knew. His hand twitched.

And then, like a ray of sunlight in the storm, I saw his eyes clear for the first time since learning the truth, and my spirit lifted at his determined expression. A spark of hope rekindled in my heart as Edward took the papers in shaking hand.

"You're right." He said this like a man experiencing an epiphany after too long in the dark. "Marcoh's note said to find the 'truth behind the truth'. There's more to this, and we _will_ find it."

Al and I exchanged excited glances, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. "That's right," Al said, his voice reflecting relief.

Edward grinned fiercely, doubts finally diminishing from golden eyes, looking just like the determined, headstrong brother we both knew and loved. "We've faced roadblocks before, and it hasn't stopped us, not once. And neither will this. Let's do this, Al."

"Right!"

My gaze jumped between my brothers and Ross, shoulders straightening and hardly able to comprehend our sudden turn in direction. My attention fixed on Ross, the catalyst for this change. To me, that woman in that very moment, was the most beautiful person in existence. Only moments ago, I had been drowning in despair of ever surviving my fate, and with only a few words, the officer who had been barely more than a stranger just that morning had restored us all with her faith. And in her eyes, in that reserved smile, was pride, as if my two brothers were something to be admired.

With renewed vigor, Edward gathered the notes before him and both he and Al began furiously scanning them once more for the answers we sought. I took a shuddering breath, the corners of my mouth tugging upwards. We were back on track, and this time, nothing would stop us.

 _Haha, that was fun. The last chapter really was the last sun before the storm. I hope all of you have your night vision angst goggles, because this is about to get dark as we run head first into the finale._

 _Next chapter: government corruption is revealed, mysteries are solved, and Edward and gang ignore authority and get into trouble. Again._

 _For those of you that have been missing Jäger, I'm letting you know that I have big plans for him in the second book. He's going to be bad ass, but for now he's just hibernating and getting bigger. He'll be quite the character when I'm through with him. *cackles evilly and sets loose an angry chimera*_

 _To answer a question, yes, I do watch the episodes before writing a chapter. I only watch them once through, first one series then the other, while taking notes. Then I take my notes and write the outline, researching anything else that isn't explicitly explained by the anime. Sometimes I pause scenes to write down specific quotes or describe a scene in shorthand, but I really don't spend that much time with the actual episodes so much as the wiki outlines to get my events in order. I actually get some of my best ideas while I'm daydreaming at work, haha._

 _See you next time!_


	48. Chapter 48

Several hours later found the five of us sitting around the coffee table in conference. Ross and Brosh had remained behind, Ross seeming determined to see this through. Edward and Alphonse sat across from me, furiously reading through the notes, Brosh on the end, and Ross next to me. The fan continued to creak obnoxiously.

I felt fragile after recent events, as if my hope was only a fluttering flame in my heart that could be blown out with the slightest wind. Learning what the philosopher's stone was made of had shaken me, and even as my brothers had rallied, I was finding it difficult to hold on to my determination. But I wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.

Finally, with a deep sigh, Edward set the last page of the notes down on the table and leaned his arms against his legs. Taking the silent cue, we looked up in sudden interest, waiting for the answers we knew were finally coming.

Seconds passed as Edward seemed to organize his thoughts, a troubled expression on his face. "Ed, what did you find out?" I asked, getting impatient.

"For one thing," he started, folding his hands in front of his mouth, "we've been thinking of the red stone entirely wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"We believed that the red stone was a separate entity from the philosopher's stone, and we were searching for it that way; like it was a separate branch altogether."

"…It isn't?"

"No," Al cut in. "All it is is the impure form of the philosopher's stone, at least according to Marcoh. It's just another stair step to get to that end."

"But," I said, already completely confused, "Does that mean that Lust is actually after the philosopher's stone? She said she was encouraging people like Nash Tringham and Mugear to make the _red_ stone…"

"It probably means that she does want the stone. Think about it. If the red stone is the food of the homunculi, and that they need it because they feel incomplete without the 'homunculus heart', then logically, the homunculus heart _is_ the philosopher's stone."

I absorbed that, really taking in the irony of what Alphonse was suggesting. We were looking of the philosopher's stone to restore our bodies and send me home. The philosopher's stone was also the part that made a homunculus whole. Either way, I would need it to survive. "So, what, Lust wants the philosopher's stone for _me_? She said that she would give me my 'heart'. I find it hard to believe that all this trouble is for one person."

"No," Ed said, "this has been going on for a lot longer than we've been around. I don't think she even knew about you when she manipulated Tringham and Mugear to make the red stones in Xenotime. She told you that she hoped we would make 'another'," he made quotation marks with his fingers. "Whatever her plan is, you seem to be a small part of it."

I frowned, thinking that he might have a point. Maybe she went after all potential homunculi. But then, she also said that there was only one creator, and that I was different because I wasn't created by 'Him'. Something about this just wasn't adding up. "…Okay. I can accept that. But what about what Mugear was going on about? The way the red stone was made biologically and purely was to use the naturally condensing womb of a pregnant woman." And it made me sick to even repeat it.

"He also said that the red stone was a prototype of the real thing. Dammit, how could I have been so stupid!" Ed shook his head in disgust. "What he was saying was only one way of _condensing_ the red stone, not actually _making_ it. It was only a theory.

Nash Tringham's way of creating the red stone was to take alchemical catalysts in mass quantities in the hopes that if enough energy was gathered, it would be enough to create the philosopher's stone. It was a theory that failed. When Lust said they didn't have the guts to make it biologically, she wasn't referring to the condensing process, but using live humans as the energy source."

"Oh great," I said bitterly, "So instead of just killing innocent unborn children, we've graduated to killing _everyone_." This was hardly good news. Far from it. But at least…at least there wasn't some disturbing _infant farming_ going on. I shuddered in disgust at my own analogy. But that did mean that Lust's 'pure stones' were created by sacrificing human lives.

"Hold on a second," Ross interjected. So far, she and Brosh had been observing quietly, looks of utter confusion on their faces. Edward looked at them in surprise, as if he had forgotten they were there. "I don't know about this whole homunculi business," she scrunched her brow, glancing between Edward and myself and wholly unable to follow what we were talking about, "but are you saying that the military is behind something like this? And in league with this 'Lust' you keep mentioning."

"Is it so hard to believe that the military would sacrifice human life for power?" Edward asked softly. "Even after everything you know about the Ishvalan Rebellion?" Ross's face fell in understanding, her expression grim. No, it was not. But she brought up an interesting point. Ed paused, a look of concentration on his face. "…I don't know. Maybe. Tringham was involved in Xenotime after all, and Marcoh states him as one of the people who worked on the philosopher's stone. Both were commissioned by the military."

"All we know about Tringham was that he disappeared from Central after deserting the military," Ed continued. "He must have found out what it was truly made of and tried to escape. But still, his town was in danger of extinction, and when he returned, Lust must have taken advantage of him through Mugear. If she was working with the military, she would have just sent him back, right?"

"It just doesn't make sense," Al said. "I don't think we have enough information to come to any conclusions about that just yet. Maybe we should just focus on what we believe the military is up to." After a pause, Edward nodded in agreement. "We know that Marcoh was developing the philosopher's stone during the Ishvalan Rebellion, and that the military was using it as a weapon."

"That's right," Ross said softly. "It was rumored that that was the power behind the massacre."

"So, we need to find out the truth. And to do that, we need to find out where Marcoh was doing his research." Edward spread a map of Central over the table. "Marcoh's notes indicate that they would need a massive facility to forge the stone, because it takes huge refining equipment."

"Well," Brosh spoke for the first time, though he looked a bit ill, "there are currently four alchemical laboratories operating under the military's watch." He pointed to a complex of four labs arranged next to each other on the edge of town.

"No, that can't be it," Ed said. "I've been to all four of them and there was nothing interesting going on. Just a bunch of bureaucrats trying to get a leg up."

Al shifted and pointed to the map on the other side of the city. "What about this one?"

"Lab Five?" Brosh shook his head. "It's abandoned. They shut it down shortly after it was built. Something about structural integrity."

Edward studied the map intensely, then exclaimed. "That's it! Look what's next to it."

"A prison," I said, leaning closer.

"So they have a lot of federal ground," Ross said. "What does that matter?"

"If people are the key ingredient of the philosopher's stone, then wouldn't it make sense for them to use convicted prisoners on death row? You couldn't have a cleaner plan; just use people who wouldn't be missed for experiments."

"Who was running the lab," Al asked.

"Basque Grand," Ross replied. "But he was killed by Scar not too long ago."

I shuddered in memory of Brigadier General Grand. Good riddance. He was a nightmare walking, and definitely ruthless enough to run such an operation.

"What do you think we should do now?" Al asked.

"No choice," Edward replied. "We are going to have to see it for ourselves."

My expression hardened. Finally, we had a direction, and we were going to find out the truth.

"Now hold on just a second," Ross interjected strongly. She got to her feet. "From here on out this is grownups' work." Ed visibly bristled, but Ross plowed on. "Besides, as long as Scar's on the loose, you are a walking target. Let Brosh and I be your eyes on the ground. If we find out anything, we will give a full report. It's our duty." Her expression was unyielding.

Edward stood in stunned silence. He glanced at Al for help.

"…She has a point brother," Al said.

To my utter surprise, Edward agreed. "Yeah, I guess your right. Ross looked up with a large surprised smile. "I guess I can't argue with you."

My mouth dropped open. Were we really just going to let this go? "Ed…!" Alphonse shook his head discreetly, and I quieted, a deep frown on my face.

"We won't let you down, sir!" Ross and Brosh snapped a salute, serious expressions on their faces. "You boys should get some rest. We'll see what we can find out." With that last, the two walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind them.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I rounded on Edward angrily. "Are you serious! We are giving up just like that? I thought–"

Ed's devious grin stopped me in my tracks, and I rocked back on my heels. "You thought right," he said mildly. The alchemist strode to the window and looked down it carefully. "Al, it's a little too far to jump. Any ideas?"

"Already on it," Al said, gathering sheets and swiftly drawing a circle on the floor. Edward drew the curtains so the light of alchemy could not be seen from the outside, and a flash of light later, we had a length of rope.

Flicking off the light, Edward reopened the window and threw the length down, securing it to a bed. "Let's go."

Feeling slightly staggered at recent revelations, I stood stunned as my two brothers made there way down the rope. We were doing this. We were really going to go to Lab Five.

"Alex, come on," Edward hissed from somewhere out the window. Jolting, I rushed to follow.

A sudden rush of foreboding settled in my gut just before I touched the rope. I glanced down at my bag nestled against my side and took it off, setting it down gently against the wall. This was going to be dangerous, and I didn't want to risk getting Jäger hurt. Jotting down a quick note on a piece of paper and setting it on top of the bag, I followed my brothers out the window, leaving my friend behind.

 _Okay, really, I need some feedback for this one. Did it make any sense AT ALL? It's times like these I feel like I really need a beta. PLEASE let me know if I've contradicted myself drastically so I can fix it. I've been working on this one for days, going over all that I've written they've found out, and I think I've been looking at it too long. And yeah, this one is quite a bit shorter since I didn't want to throw too much at you lot at once. Absorb and reply! I don't want to make a huge snowball mistake that could ruin a bunch of crap later. Thanks. Really._

 _Next chapter: Infiltration of the fifth lab! Finally! I've actually already written this part, I just had to keep coming back to this conversation because I didn't like it. I'll probably be posting the second half in a couple hours or so._


	49. Chapter 49

Sneaking out of military grounds was surprisingly easy considering there was a madman on the loose. Guards were posted everywhere, but they were looking outward for someone coming in, not leaving.

Excitement rushed through my veins to finally be doing something. Cold air whipped at my hair and adrenaline made my blood sing as we slipped quietly into our usual devil-may-care routine. This– _this_ was what I lived for. This was what I was good at. Not studying and looking for conspiracies, but finding out the truth with my own eyes. It had been much too long.

We made our way across the silent city and finally found ourselves outside of the fifth lab and in front of our first obstacle.

"It's completely boarded off," Ed whispered, noting the strong fortifications to the gate in front of the large, dark facility. The bars were chained shut, covered in barbed wire and topped by a menacing sign that said 'keep out'. He stepped up and tested the bars. "Hey, Alex, do you think you can pull these apart?"

I stared at the inch-thick bars dubiously. "Maybe, but even if I could, do we really want to broadcast that we've been here?"

Ed shook his head, acknowledging my point. "Around the side then."

"Hey, brother, look," Al said, pointing to the ground behind the gate. Barely visible in the darkness, three tripwires gleamed dully.

"Pretty heavily trapped for an abandoned building," Ed remarked, making his way around the corner. The twenty foot concrete wall continued all the way around, but we stopped at the side in between street lamps where it was darkest. Edward looked up, eyeing the barbed wire lining the top of the wall. "Hey, Al, give me a boost." The blonde backed up while Al got into position. With a running start, Edward jumped up into Al's clenched hands the suit of armor launched him up. Ed landed gracefully on the top of the wall with a grunt, landing on his automail limbs, and began disassembling the barbed wire. Once it was clear, Ed motioned for me to jump up as well.

I complied. Using my newfound strength, I jumped lightly, landing on Al's shoulder and launching my way to the top of the twenty foot wall. I was aiming for the ledge where Ed was, but accidentally overshot and ended up landing on the other side and stumbling to one knee. I looked back up at Ed, who was lifting a brow at me. "Superior strength, not superior grace," I said with a sheepish smile by way of explanation. Ed shot me an amused grin and then proceeded to lower the barbed wire for Alphonse to climb up.

Once the three of us were on the other side, we began looking around for a convenient entrance. There were none. The only other door was boarded and wired shut as well.

"Well, damn," Ed said. "We may have to transmute our way in."

"Someone will see us," Al pointed out.

"Let me see what I can do," I said, rubbing my hands together. It wire would hurt, but I would heal soon enough. I walked forward and was about to place my hand on the first board when Edward grabbed me. I jumped from the extra jolt of adrenaline, and my brother let go swiftly, shaking out his hand.

"Look," he said. There were similar trip wires along the door and I had almost set them off. Even if I avoided them, there was no way I could remove the fortifications and get inside.

Edward looked around, and then pointed at a vent above the door. "That way."

I eyed the small ventilation shaft doubtfully while Edward climbed onto Al's shoulders and removed the covering. "It will be a tight fit, but I think we can get through?" Ed made it a question, looking down at me.

I shrugged, doubtful. "I'll try." I was a bit broader shouldered than Ed, and it looked like he would barely be able to squeeze in.

Edward hefted himself up into the shaft, half his body fitted into the dark entrance. He shuffled out a second later and shook his head. "No, you won't fit. You two will just have to wait for me here. I'll come back as soon as I find out what I need to know." With that, he crawled into the tight space and left us to our own devices without even a 'see you later'. We stared after him for a moment in annoyance.

"Well that's just great," Al said, crossing his arms. "He's going in there alone. Now what do we do?"

"What can we do," I said, shrugging. "We can't get in any other way that I can see. We'll jus have to hope he doesn't run into any trouble."

That statement hung in the air for a moment before we both exchanged knowing glances.

"I'm going to check for other entrances," Al said, almost exactly at the same time I said, "I'm going to see if I can't disable this door." We both nodded at the same time and got to work. It wasn't a question of if Ed would run into trouble, but when.

I heard Al walking away but didn't watch as I concentrated fully on the problem in front of me. I looked more closely at the door. The double door itself was made of sturdy wood, and the boards across it appeared to have been hammered in haphazardly. Over that were reams of barbed wire and tripwires.

I leaned in closer, following the lines of one of the traps and found that it attached at a small hole on the left side of the door. Closer inspection showed that the others were similarly rigged. I would have no luck with disabling these…I stepped back and crossed my arms, staring at the overdone fortifications thoughtfully.

Something struck me as odd. If what we were thinking was true, and that the military was running some covert, illegal weapons lab, then there must be an easy entrance for the workers to get through discreetly. But from what we had seen, there wasn't any such entrance. Maybe it was hidden?

Disregarding the impassible door before me, I started to seriously scan the walls to both sides. On a hunch, I walked to the left, running my hand lightly over the rough concrete surface. For several minutes, I discovered nothing.

Just when I began thinking that the entrance might just be underground, I was rewarded by a change in texture beneath my fingers. There was no visual difference, but the wall felt smooth here, as if many hands had passed over it. I pressed down.

With a satisfying click, the wall beneath my hand created a small square indention, and then a section of the wall slid aside, revealing a wide doorway. It opened into a long hallway that was dimly lit by soft yellow lights, proving that the facility was not abandoned.

Even as triumph and adrenaline surged through me at my discovery, the whole spy and subterfuge angle was amusing. I hadn't actually expected that to work. With a broad grin, I turned to find Alphonse, but a flash of movement caught my eye. I paused and peered into the dim hallway.

Someone was there. Startled, I jumped to the side of the door, almost expecting gunfire to rain down on me. But when it stayed silent, I peered warily back around the corner. _Who is…is that…!?_

My heart stuttered in utter shock at the figure who was slowly approaching me, mind failing to compute what I was seeing before me. For a moment, I couldn't even react. That–that couldn't be right, it didn't make any sense!

But there was no mistaking who it was. There was no mistaking that graceful figure or that malicious presence, something that was burned like a brand in my mind. A presence that sparked some of the most painful, torturous and catastrophic memories of my life, causing adrenaline to spike and all manner of unpleasant sensations to plague me, skewing my judgement. And then came the anger.

Long onyx hair glinted as her red-violet eyes glinted from the darkness. "Lust," I growled, almost inhumanly from deep in my chest. I stepped out into the doorway, my fists clenched by my sides and my teeth bared viciously. A snarl ripped from me as her crimson lips curved into an amused smile.

I took one step forward, no thought to fear and aggression burning in my veins. I was not helpless this time and I would not run. Running wasn't even an option, wasn't even something that _occurred_ to me. This time…this time…!

Her grin grew bigger, exposing her own sharp white teeth.

With one last look, the seductress beckoned with her eyes before sauntering around the corner with a small laugh, disappearing like a ghost.

My vision reddened in rage and without even a thought as to what she was doing in a military base in the first place, or the fact that she had obviously known I was coming, I let out an enraged howl and chased after her, putting all of my rage and pent up frustration into my voice. Our last encounter burned so furiously in the forefront of my mind as I plunged into the darkness after her that I didn't even notice as the door closed behind me with a dull scrape. For all of the terror, pain and frustration she put me through I was going to _tear her apart_.

o-0-o

Alphonse was jerked abruptly from the gutter he was inspecting by an almost inhuman howl, the kind of sound that would raise gooseflesh in a warmblood. It echoed off the empty streets and shattered the silence, startling him badly. It sounded like a wounded animal; frightened and enraged.

"Alex," he exclaimed in alarm, turning back the way he had come.

Before he could make a single move, however, a shadow fell swiftly upon him, given away by the bright moonlight. Alphonse leapt back just in time as a weapon flashed right where his head had been only seconds before. Sliding to a halt from his hasty retreat, the boy tried to figure out what attacked him as the dust settled around his feet.

A dark figure landed with a loud clank where he had been standing. A cleaver, about as large as its forearm, glinted evilly from where it stuck halfway out of the ground.

Slowly the thing stood, and Alphonse felt a thrill of fear as it's face was revealed. Glowing red eyes glimmered within the depths of a grotesque skull mask with sharpened teeth, the rest of it's body obscured in what looked like a thick white mane.

The creature, which appeared to be a man dressed in a gruesome suit of armor, let out a insane, echoing laugh. "You move pretty well for someone so large," he said, his voice high and nasally but obviously male.

"Who are you," Al asked aggressively. He did not have time for this! Urgency buzzed in his mind. That shout had been close by. It could have been Alex!

"Oooh, so demanding," the strange man said, "I suppose I should answer. My name is Sixty Six, and I am a guardian of this place. You've been straying to places you don't belong and now I get to kill you." He laughed gleefully, spinning on one leg and waving his cleaver through the air.

"Sixty Six," Al asked, alarmed that he claimed to be a guardian. Did that mean there were others?

"Ehe, that's just what they call me at work. You see, I used to be a terrifying criminal that ravaged the streets of Central," He tilted his head and hunched his shoulders, red orifices gleaming, "but then I got caught and they turned me into this and told me to guard this place."

"What do you mean? What did they turn you into?"

"I'll tell you when I'm peeling your skin!" Sixty Six screeched and then charged at a startled Alphonse. The suit of armor went on the defensive, trying to feel his opponent out.

Sixty Six swung wildly with his cleavers, moving almost inhumanly fast, as though his body was stronger than average. He swung right, left, right, laughing maniacally all the while. Alphonse blocked with his forearms, using the spikes to redirect the blows outward. As steel struck steel, sparks flew and flashed their faces momentarily in light, something that would have blinded most men.

Soon enough Al began to realize that although Sixty Six was stronger than most, he didn't really know how to fight at all. He seemed to rely on the fact that he could overpower an average human or his fear factor. Alphonse began to relax. He would win this easily.

Apparently his momentary lapse was all Sixty Six needed as he crowed in triumph and viciously cut on the inside of Al's elbow where the armor was weakest.

"Ahahahah! How bout now I show you how thinly you slice!" He raised his other cleaver over his head and brought it down in a slow, dramatic arch.

If Alphonse had eyes he would have rolled them. As it was, he let out an annoyed sigh and flexed his arm, snapping the cleaver in half. He then interrupted his opponent's surprised exclamation and slammed his fist in the man's face, sending him sprawling several yards away and causing his helmet to roll off.

Al dusted off his hands and looked around for other threats. Finding none and thinking his opponent down, he said to himself, "Why do I always get the weird ones?"

"Aaaah, now you've gone and done it…" Sixty Six moaned, sitting up. Alphonse's head snapped around in surprise as he moved, sure he had knocked his adversary down. But clearly the guardian was stronger than he thought. He lifted his arms defensively in preparation for a fight.

"You just plum," Sixty six turned around slowly, and Alphonse gasped in surprise, all thoughts of ending the fight and finding his brothers quickly blown from his mind, "knocked my head off."

"Your hollow inside," Al said softly in shock. Indeed, between his opponents hunched shoulders there was a void of emptiness where a body should have been. Alphonse could only come to one startling conclusion. The military was making soul seals attached to armor that were just like him.

 _Haha, there you go. We are finally getting somewhere. Man, Alex is mad! I guess he's still not over that whole 'I'll just shove my hand in your chest and make you ingest human lives' thing. Lust is in for it now. Although it seems she was waiting for him. Hmmm._

 _Looks like Al has his own problems. I'll try to keep the repeated bits brief. It's kind of important to the plot, so I'll try to keep it short. Don't worry, there will be plenty of twists to keep you all entertained. There's going to be a lot of scene switches as well, so it should be pretty fast paced. Which is great because the last, like, ten chapters were dreadfully slow. Sorry about that. I'll make it up to you._

 _Next chapter: Al has doubts about his humanity, and Alex goes for vengeance. See you next time chickies! And send me some cookies! I have a sweet tooth and my boyfriend won't bring me chocolate. Or if not…review!_


	50. Chapter 50

Yellow lights blurred past my vision while I ran, illuminating my body in sickly gleam before plunging me back into darkness. My thoughts were singular in their intensity as I pursued my tormentress through the endless seeming halls of Lab Five. I was running faster than any human would find possible, slamming into every corner I turned in my haste. The impacts hurt, but I got the feeling the walls were suffering more damage than me.

Lust flitted in and out of my vision as I pursued her, somehow managing to stay a hall ahead of me at every turn. Sometimes I even lost sight of her, but her laughs would echo off the walls menacingly, and I would gain her trail once more. I had not known until I finally saw her again just how much what she had done had affected me. It was as if a cap on my sanity– the only thing that was keeping me from losing complete control– had been removed, allowing all of my anger, fear, frustration and despair to let loose in one catastrophic moment.

Finally, I came to the end of the hall that led to a large set of double doors, just closing as I turned the corner. I slammed through them, nearly knocking one off it's hinges. I slid to a halt, panting loudly in the large room I suddenly found myself in.

My angered gasps echoed off the walls of the huge space. Archaic drawings lined shadowed surfaces and large columns supported the high ceilings. I whipped my head side to side, scanning the room for my quarry. She did not appear.

My breathing calmed and my heartbeat slowed, but even as my adrenaline relaxed I slipped my armored gloves over my hands and pulled out my tonfa. Scanning the room more carefully, I realized that there were only two exits. Another large set of double doors stood silently on the far end of the chamber. I walked cautiously into the room, waiting for an attack.

With none immediately forthcoming, anger spiked within me once more and I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Lust! I know you're in here! What, are you afraid to face me now that I'm not helpless?" My own enraged voice bounced back to me, sounding deep and harsh to my ears.

"My, is all that anger I hear for me?" I whipped around with a growl resonating in my chest as Lust finally revealed herself. She was leaning casually against a column to my right, once again moving without a sound and looking as devastatingly beautiful as I remembered. "I'm flattered. Although last time we had one of our little dates you were so much more…cooperative."

"Cooperative," I choked, emotions not allowing me to draw a proper breath. "You _tortured_ me!"

The Woman brought a delicate finger to her plump lips, a look of innocence on her face. "That's not how I remember it." She began walking around me slowly, her hips swaying and her voice becoming sultry with each spoken word, causing bile to roil in my gut. "Soft gasps in the night, echoing against the empty forest. A crimson robe splayed beneath me against the pure snow. Your pretty expressions as I removed your pain and gave you pleasure…"

My eyes widened in horror at her recounting of events, freezing my muscles as she stalked around me like a predator. "You're sick," I growled, not letting her out of my sight. Vividly, I recalled her hand as it pulled out of my chest with a sick squelch covered in gore and my blood. Flashes of terrible agony and terror as I tried to keep my fraying sanity together. Going over that edge as she dominated me physically and psychologically. And then her forcing me to consume on the lives of others, even as I desperately wished it all to end…

A snarl ripped from my throat, sounding inhuman and gutteral to my ears as I brought my weapons and teeth to bare. Lust fluttered long black lashes, her bowed lips turning up in a small smile.

"That's right," she simpered. "You aren't human, so stop pretending to be one." She lifted her arms by her sides, leaving her body completely open as if offering an embrace. "Do you want to kill me Alex? Do you want to rip my heart out like I nearly did yours?"

My vision reddened and I howled, truly losing control. I leapt violently at my grinning tormentress, the woman who I now irrationally blamed for every harm that had come to me in this world. The fight was on.

All of my training, all of my carefully honed control, flew right out the window as fury took over. Lust deftly sidestepped my wild charge, nearly faster than I could see, and I careened into the wall behind her, crashing into it with a deafening boom. Concrete shattered beneath my weapons, but I was already scanning through the dust, looking for my elusive opponent. There!

Lust was standing in nearly the same spot she had vacated before, glancing coyly over her shoulder, her arms still widespread. I came at her again, and again. Each time she seemed to flit in and out of existence as she dodged my blows, the same taunting smile on her face. Frustration bubbled within me. She was _playing_ with me and it only served to fuel my anger as I continued to destroy the room around us without laying a finger on my true target.

It was just like before. No matter how ridiculously strong I became, she was still stronger. No matter how much I trained, it would be no use. She was all powerful, pinning me to the ground. Dominating.

I gasped, sliding to a stop and standing up straight, red-violet eyes widening with realization. Dust settled around me as I stilled, frozen. _That_ was her game. She was–

"Alex," Lust cooed in mock concern, "What's the matter? Are you tired already?"

Slowly, I turned around, a deadly calm settling over me. I allowed her taunts to roll off my shoulders this time, not letting them enrage me further. I knew now what she was doing, and I would no longer allow it to continue. I began stalking forward slowly, my muscles snapping to my will in perfect balance. I brought my weapons to my sides, ready but tauntingly relaxed, as if I no longer felt she was dangerous. Two could play at this game.

Lust's smile slid slowly off her face at my languid approach, and her shoulders tensed tellingly. I was not the same helpless wreck I was before. I was stronger, more controlled, and deadlier. She had been using my fear and my memories of what happened that night in Dublith to make herself seem stronger than me, and maybe she was. But I knew for a fact that I was more skilled. I allowed my anger to condense into a deadly point in my mind, turning it from distraction to motivation. I had been trained by three of the most powerful masters in Amestris, and there was no way I was going to lose to my own fear.

I stopped several yards from my opponent, taking in her suddenly tense figure. I took a deep breath.

My tensed legs suddenly proppeled me forward, and this time Lust was on the retreat. As I rained blows upon her no longer blinded by my anger, I was able to keep up and not let her from my sight. I began to analyze her like I should have done since the beginning, like I did every fight. Our dual gasps and growls were only drowned out by the impacts with the environment around us as the walls shattered beneath our strength.

The homunculus was stronger than me, more experienced with her power, and faster. But, though she moved with grace, her blows and counters were wild and aimless. I saw them coming a mile away. In contrast, my attacks became controlled and precise. I aimed for vital points that would cause the most pain; a blow to her kidney, a direct jab to her sternum, a vicious kick to her knees, shattering the bone. Though she was able to dodge most of the attacks with her speed, I got in enough hits to turn her smug grin into a scowl.

Soon enough I discovered the futility of such a battle between homunculi. Though I was more skilled in hitting her vitals, she would merely heal instantly in a flash of red sparks.

And then I discovered her one staggering advantage over me. Pain tolerance.

"Where did all that beautiful anger go," Lust taunted, regaining her smile. I wiped it off her face a second later by shattering her jaw with all of my strength. Her head snapped to the side as my tonfa blew her several feet away. Still, she managed to keep her balance and looked back up at me, her hair falling behind her shoulders and her eyes amused as her jaw reformed. I grit my teeth as she healed _yet again_ and charged, not letting up.

Calmly, she extended her hand towards me. At first, I didn't know what she was doing, and then my eyes widened in startling realization as her claws extended in an ability I had foolishly forgotten she could do. Dedicated to my charge and removed from the ground, I could not dodge as her spears impaled me, piercing through my flesh in a brilliant flash of agony and using my momentum to slam me into the opposite wall.

I crashed with an aguished scream and slid down, rubble raining around me. Falling to my knees, my hands clawed over the places where I had been impaled and I hunched over where my ribs had been shattered by the wall.

Mere seconds later, my ability to heal kicked in and I was inundated with the relief of pain as the red sparks did their job and closed my wounds. But the damage had already been done.

I gasped, shuddering violently as my mind stuttered to a halt in shock. Confused and disoriented, I scrabbled my hands over the places I had been impaled, eyes blown wide even as the pain had completely faded. My psych told me I was dead, but my body claimed that I was not, even as my mind screamed at me to get up, that the fight was not over. As a result of conflicting signals, I jerked to my feet before flopping back down on the ground like a limp fish.

Time slowed as I tried and failed to process what just happened. It was beyond comprehension. My mind _knew_ I had just died, and yet my body was telling me I was sound and whole, even as it shuddered in remembered pain.

Lust's cruel laugh filtered through my panicked gasps and I looked up at her, pupils blown wide in fear. "I'll have to teach you how to shake off death, young one. Don't worry, I will guide you." Casually, she flicked the remainder of my blood off of her semi extended claws and began to advance, her heals clicking loudly on the polished floor.

And just like that our roles were reversed once more. I was weak in the face of her dominance, and I could do nothing as she stalked towards me. I shivered and clutched my weapons in shaking hands, preparing to fight even as terror became all consuming. "Come now, Alex. I'm not through with you yet."

Screaming incoherently, I swiped with one weapon, then the other, jerking to my feet. Lust sidestepped me easily, her confident smirk back in place as I once again lost control. "That's it, just a little more," she encouraged, but I was past listening.

She was backing up swiftly now. Her back pressed against the door opposite to the one we had entered, and she pushed through it, still facing me. I followed her like a fool, my heart pounding loudly in my ears.

And then suddenly…she was gone. I stumbled into the room, my final blow before her disappearance over extended and sending me careening forward. I fell to one knee, coming to a halt and panting harshly. I looked around for Lust, but it seemed that she had completely vanished. There was no other exit to the room, and yet she was gone.

The room was small, only about twelve feet each direction, and the walls were concrete. At first I could not understand what I was seeing. But then my vision snapped into focus enough to realize that the walls were painted in sweeping black patterns. The markings were almost unrecognizable. It looked like some form of alchemy but different. More…tribal. The sharp, organic markings reminded me uncomfortably of a venus fly trap about to snap down on it's prey.

"Thank you for joining me, Alex. You've been such a good sport, but now I think it's time to end our little game."

I spun in alarm at the sound of Lust's voice just outside the door, blocking the only exit. Her figure was tall and imposing, the only light shining behind her and casting her long shadow over me. She stepped forward and I retreated farther into the room, wary. "What do you mean?"

The black haired homunculus merely smiled and pulled something from behind her back. There was a flash of silver...and then something inexplicable happened. My body seized into complete stillness and I froze, unable to even draw breath. Hanging from Lust's relaxed hand was a small silver locket.

Lust's smile turned into a cruel smirk as I became unable to move. "Do you know what this is, Alex?" Not able to answer, I merely stared. "This is a lock of Trisha Elric's hair, the form you were meant to take. I collected it just after we met. Just in case."

She pulled the locket back minutely and I took a strangled breath as she examined it. "Did you know that the best way to subdue a homunculus is to find a piece of their original body? We are unfortunately weak that way." Her eyes turned to me deviously. "And fortunately strong in others."

She held the amulet back out and I was once again seized. My mind screamed at me to run, to fight, to do _something._ But this time I was well and truly at her mercy. All I could do was drown in my own terror as she stalked ever slowly forward.

Finally, she stepped over the threshold. Then, like the ignition of a bomb, my world was consumed in brilliant red-violet light as the black markings activated around me. I screamed.

Burning hot agony tore through me, as if every molecule of my body was being unmade. My muscles convulsed and I doubled over and retched, blood and red masses spilling over my lips. I stared down at them in shock, recognizing the red stones I had consumed. They were being expelled from my body. I retched several more times, but nothing but blood came up.

The second effect staggered me a split second later, for as the red stones were extracted, my strength left me in one violent sweep leaving me as weak and helpless as I had been that terrible night in Dublith when I had been starved for energy. I looked up at Lust in shock, only to find her standing right over me with a piteous expression on her fair face. It only served to look menacing as it reflected the red light around us.

"Sorry, little one, but I have to have you weak so that Edward will do what I want. It will all be over soon, and then you will be whole."

"W-what...Ed? What do you want with him?! Leave him alone–" I was cut off by another fit of coughing. Lust merely laughed.

Realization dawned on me like a flash fire, brilliant as any one of Roy's flames. This had all been a trap. A trap for me, and a trap for Edward. We were always meant to come here. Somehow, someway, Lust had made sure of it. Then she had led me like a lamb to slaughter to this very spot. And like an idiot, I had followed.

As the seductive homunculus leaned down, holding the locket open by its clasp and clearly intending to put it around my neck, I had one more thought before I was consumed by darkness.

My brothers were in danger, and because I had wandered into an obvious trap like a damn fool there was nothing I could do to help them.

 _Hm, Alex, it's a little too late to realize it's a trap. Ah, that was fun. We even got to see a little bit of Alex's animalistic side. For those of you who thought he had taken that whole episode in Dublith too well, there you go. Tell us how you really feel, Alex._

 _I've got two words for you. SCIENCE FANTASY. Yeah, I have no idea how the whole homunculus strength thing really works. It kind of contradicts itself. Like, they seem to be strong enough to shatter concrete with their bare hands, but they can have their heads ripped off by a hammer held by a half cow guy. So they are definitely not like Superman. I dunno. It's weird that they are that strong yet not durable enough to handle their own strength. Oh well. I'm using the contradiction to my advantage for some fun mental trauma. Thinking about it gave me a really good insight about how much pain a homunculus would have to go through to just be able to shake off death like they do. Probably why they are all insane._

 _Next Chapter: Alphonse faces off with his doubts of humanity, then gets eaten by a marshmallow._

 _I actually meant to have him in this chapter, but had way too much fun with the Lust scene. Oh well. Alphonse deserves his own chapter for his own emotional trauma. Good times._


	51. Chapter 51

It was dark. And quiet.

The small space that had become so familiar, that had always been moving for as long as he could remember, was still. The usual rustles and the accompanying voice were absent, and the warmth that was ever present in his world was gone. Coldness was creeping in, and the stillness was becoming increasingly unsettling.

Jäger opened his golden eyes slowly. The skin around his smooth lids, one of the only places on his reptilian body with small, flexible scales, crackled dryly and the feline almost seemed to wince in discomfort. His feline-reptilian body had become increasingly restricting to the chimera for several days now. He could feel his skin tightening, holding him down, and making his already winter-cold-lethargic body most unwilling to move.

But something was wrong. Cold was encroaching. His chosen nest-mate's voice and warmth was gone. And it was like the before-time. The fear, and then the pain, and then the flash of agony and light. More angry scared noises. Escape from hunters. Cold.

The small feline forced his legs beneath him, his joints protesting to the tight skin that held him back and the cold that froze his blood. Flashes of memories of warm sun beams and bugs buzzing and play-happy-vitality flashed within the chimera's mind with something like longing, but the images were brushed aside as instinct to find his nest-mate-warm-safe-big-cat before hunters could find him.

Jäger shifted in the darkness of his nest and poked his head out, sniffing the air carefully. The cold, always cold air stung at his nose, but it was the only thing he knew in his short life, so he ignored it. Lethargy pulled at his bones as he shuffled out of the warm darkness and looked around. He sniffed again and flicked his tongue out, tasting the air. His eyes gleamed silver, reflecting the light from outside of the dark window as his gaze passed that direction fleetingly.

"Mew…" He cooed, waiting for his nest-mate's usual noises to reassure him, as he had every time in the long cold-air-hide-sleepy winter, but there was only silence. Jäger perked his ears, listening for any signs of life, the scaled triangles swiveling in several directions. His tongue flicked out a few more times, tasting for lingering warmth, but while his nest-mate's scent was everywhere, his warmth was gone.

An inkling of fear tingled up the feline's spine, and he began to furtively skirt the edges of the dark room on stiff limbs, looking for a way out while sniffing and smelling the whole while. Fresh air caught his attention, and he looked up at the open window, the curtains fluttering slightly in the wind. The cold air brushed along Jäger's small body and the chimera shrank back from the source of his discomfort, but even as he cringed back, his tongue caught the scent of his nest-mate, as if that was the last place he had been.

Open air-hunters-fear-cold…overcome. Jäger backed up slowly and crouched down. Then, with as much strength as he could muster, he ran forward, joints creaking and skin pulling, before jumping as high as he could. Unfortunately, he only managed to get his claws over the lip of the opening before falling back to the floor in a painful thump, unable to force his legs to catch himself. The small feline's long reptilian tail swung wildly as he attempted to erect himself once more, paws flailing, and he managed to get to his feet. Jäger looked up at the window, his front paws resting on the wall and his back legs and tail supporting him, but it only got him slightly higher off the ground.

Jäger paced back and forth in agitation, growling softly in his throat, but then he was forced to stop as the cold seeped into his bones. The small creature shivered, but the movement was more like a full body wiggle, unable to accomplish the task properly with his reptilian skin. It didn't help.

"Meew…" the chimera cooed longingly, but no answering noises called back to him.

Jäger's ears swiveled back and he tensed in a split second. There were moving-sounds coming from the door, a soft voice and heavy-clumsy steps of at least two big-cats. The chimera shrank back, unsure if the noise was friend or foe, but a second later he recognized one of the voices as a pack-friend.

Jäger yowled loudly and the big-cat-clumsy-steps stopped outside of the door abruptly. The chimera took this as a good sign and became demanding with his yowls, something the big-cats always seemed to respond to. Usually it just got him a pat on the head or answering coos, sometimes even food, but this time he needed the wall opened and to be released.

There was a sound of knocking on the door and Jäger shuffled forward, his voice becoming louder. A few seconds passed and then the door opened, letting in bright light and warm not-outside air.

The small chimera shrank back as the much larger cat entered the room. He flicked his tongue out again, making sure the female was indeed the same pack-friend, which he only knew by taste and sound, and then jumped out of his hiding place and began to rub on the female's leg, lifting his tail in greeting.

The black-furred big-cat reared back with alarmed sounds, and Jäger fell onto his back, displaying his stomach and rolling on his back to calm her, although the cold was really getting to him. She crouched down a tense second later and rubbed the feline's stomach tentatively. Jäger purred and cooed, making the same noises he made for his nest-mate to reassure her. Her hand felt blissfully warm, so he prodded his triangular head into her palm and was delighted when she rubbed him harder.

She pulled back, much to his displeasure, and he voiced it. Loudly. Her pack mate, the yellow-furred male, held out a hand politely. The small feline tasted his air cautiously before deciding the omega was acceptable and allowing him to take over where the alpha-female left off.

Soon enough, he wiggled again from the cold, desperately seeking warmth, and without further ado, jumped onto the male and cuddled into his chest. He had just enough presence of mind to look around the room with wide eyes and demand that the pack-friends find his nest-mate, before cuddling into the warmth and trying not to fall back into his winter-sleep.

o-0-o

Brosh made a helpless grunt of protest as the small creature–a cat? a lizard?– jumped onto his chest and clung to him with curiously sticky paws. It made demanding churring noises and then cuddled into him, as if trying to crawl into his skin. Brosh shivered, disconcerted, and put his hands around the small animal, the smooth skin cold to the touch. It seemed to find it impossible to keep its eyes open and the man wondered if it was sick.

"What the heck is this thing?" Brosh demanded, looking over at his partner beseechingly. He curled back against himself a bit though, when he caught her expression.

Ross was standing by the open window, having just turned on the lights, with an expression of fury on her fair features. Her hand clenched tightly around the make-shift rope that hung limply out of the window.

"Those boys…" she growled, her hand itching to reach for her gun. Or someone's neck. She glared out at the guards who were _supposed_ to be keeping watch. Apparently they couldn't spot two boys and a _clanking suit of armor,_ even as they had to pass right by them. Someone would be getting a report on their desk. A very angry and unflattering report.

"Ross..?" Brosh said carefully, knowing how the dutiful woman could be when she was angry.

Completely ignoring him, the woman looked around the room with serious eyes, looking for a clue as to when they left. It couldn't have been that long after they had their talk earlier, and that had been several hours ago. Their destination was obvious. They had gone to the Fifth Lab.

And it looked like they expected danger. Ross looked over her shoulder at the small creature clinging to her nervous partner's chest. So that was what Alex carried around with him constantly. She had thought that it was some kind of cat or a rodent or something, only knowing that it was alive, and that the boy sometimes tried to feed it. Now she understood the secretiveness. It was probably not a good idea to broadcast that you had something like that…but they had bigger things to worry about. Alex leaving behind his pet meant that he expected to get into trouble. Which only confirmed her suspicion of where they went.

Dammit! Damn those kids and their charming smiles. They had lied. Right to her face. And then they went gallivanting across the city with a killer on the loose, possibly only to go to a dangerous facility that may or may not be run by corruption in the government. Her face hardened. She was going to need backup.

"Brosh," Ross snapped, making her partner jump.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Get Armstrong on the line. We have some idiot children to retrieve." She turned away from the window with an angry snap of her coat tails and started for the door, but something fluttered out of the corner of her eye.

The stern woman paused, glaring at the piece of paper before snatching it up. She scanned the hastily scrawled note with military precision, and her eyes widened in alarm, her heart leaping into her throat.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, cursing uncharacteristically in her apprehension. Ross dove into the hall at a dead sprint, pushing off the wall in her haste and running down the corridor. Her partner yelled in alarm behind her, but she didn't listen as she grabbed the first guard she could get her hands on.

She spun the surprised low-ranking officer on his heel and barked at him. "Get me Mustang. Now!"

As the frightened man saluted and hastily ran down the hallway, Ross strode into the main library and barked orders at any soldier she saw, gathering them to the front of the building. As the highest ranking officer in the building, they snapped to attention and obeyed, relaying her orders to the rest of the security detail. The _incompetent_ security detail that failed to do their duty. Assured that her orders had been relayed, Ross spun on her heel and walked back to the only secure military line in the building, where she hoped Mustang would be on the line.

Sure enough, as she rounded the corner, the corporal that she had ordered earlier gestured her over and handed her the phone.

Ross' heels clicked together in attention and she pulled her shoulders back, respectful even as she knew the man couldn't actually see her. "Colonel Mustang, sir," she saluted.

"What is it Lieutenant," an annoyed voice growled at her from the other end of the line. Ross's shoulders got impossibly straighter at his tone, realizing that she had woken him from his sleep. This, however, was infinitely more important than rankling a superior officer.

"Sir," she said crisply. "We have a situation. I felt that because you are Edward's superior officer you should be informed." Also, she thought, because of the note now clenched painfully in her hand.

The man on the other end groaned, clearly exasperated. "What has Ed done _now_ ," he said resignedly.

"He's gone missing, along with both of his brothers," she said gravely.

There was silence on the other end for a moment, before Mustang's voice became dead serious, now fully awake.

"What do you mean, missing?"

"I think it would be better if we spoke in person, sir," she responded, hoping the man would catch her hint that this was more serious than just Edward and his brothers disappearing.

"…Very well. I'll be there in twenty minutes. Gather your men and wait." He hung up with a sharp click and Maria Ross put her receiver down as well. She gathered herself for a moment before looking over at the officer still standing at attention a respectful distance away.

"Inform Major Armstrong that we are in need of his presence," she told him, already striding to the door. She had some unobservant men to dress down before Mustang got there.

She worried the note between her fingers, hoping beyond hope that it didn't mean what she thought it meant. Because…because…She looked at it once more, stopping in the corridor with a worried frown.

 _Mustang,_

 _Remember our promise. Take care of them._

 _Alex_

Because it meant that Alex, at the very least, didn't think he would be coming back.

 _Ah, gotta love Ross. Respectful yet tough, hard yet motherly. Yeah she's pretty cool._

 _Hey all. Sorry for the short chapter. I've suddenly found myself very busy with my final semester of college, which is the reason why I wanted to finish this book before that happened…unfortunately I didn't get as far as I would have liked. Now I don't even have time for my martial arts classes, much less this story…grumbles. I'm going to get fat…Anyway, I meant for this to be Al's chapter, but I just couldn't write it, so I procrastinated and did the military's chapter first. But it was fun, cuz we got to see Jäger's perspective for the first time._

 _If you haven't noticed, he's more feline in his thoughts and reptilian in his body. Which is kind of cool to work with. Sorry if the dash language confused you, I was trying to go for urges rather than coherent thoughts, since, you know, he's an animal. The way he thinks is kind of funny though. Did you know that some scientists think cats see us as bigger, clumsy cats? And that they only talk to us because they learn that we respond to it? I read some fun articles on the matter, and I guess that's what inspired me to write this chapter from Jäger's perspective. Like I said before, though, he only has a very minor role in this story. His real character will come out in the next. He's still getting bigger and hibernating and stuff, so he'll be useless till it's warm anyway. Hm…maybe I should write a oneshot about his origin…Would any of you be interested in that?_

 _Next Chapter: Al. No, for real. I mean it this time._


	52. Chapter 52

_Good morning readers…so after last night, I posted the chapter, went to bed, woke up an hour later…and threw up. Repeatedly. For four hours. I feel. like. shit. So yeah, safe to say I won't be going to work. So I thought, why not write the next chapter? It is now five in the morning, and there's no danger of me falling asleep, so barring I don't ruin my computer, I thought I would write to distract myself. Anyway, enough self pity. On with the story!_

o-0-o

 _"You just plum," Sixty six turned around slowly, and Alphonse gasped in surprise, all thoughts of ending the fight and finding his brothers quickly blown from his mind, "knocked my head off."_

 _"Your hollow inside," Al said softly in shock. Indeed, between his opponent's hunched shoulders, there was a void of emptiness where a body should have been. Alphonse could only come to one startling conclusion. The military was making soul seals attached to armor that were just like him._

Alphonse reeled as the insane man continued to chatter, placing his helmet back on his shoulders. The military was creating soul-sealed armor? But why?

The young man, not as naive as some seemed to think, quickly came to a few conclusions that would have risen goose flesh on his real body. Why else create soldiers who didn't need to eat or sleep?

To use them as weapons.

It was a despicable thought, but one that Alphonse was beginning to believe the military was capable of. After all they had seen and found out, why would this surprise him now? At this point he just wondered if it was all of them or just a faction. Al sincerely hoped the latter was the case, because he was very close to kidnapping Edward from the military's service and locking him in a box, bodies be damned.

Belatedly, Al realized the man was still talking to him, a monologue of some sort, and he berated himself for being rude. At the very least, he should have pretended to listen, even though he _really_ had better things to do at the moment.

"I'm sorry," Al interrupted him, quite lost at this point, "but what were you saying?"

The man seemed to bristle, the hair on his armor standing on end, and Al wondered vaguely if his soul was controlling that part too.

"Why aren't you afraid of me," the man whined obnoxiously. "I'm the reborn soul of the infamous Barry the Chopper, who ravaged Central on a mass murdering streak! Also I don't have a body! Shouldn't you be like-aaaah! Where's your body?!"

Al lifted his helmet, revealing that he was also bodiless armor, and Sixty Six, or he guessed, Barry the Chopper, seemed taken aback.

"AAA! What happened to _your_ body!?"

More than a bit annoyed at this point, the boy placed his helmet back on his shoulders and sighed deeply. "Careful, you'll hurt my feelings," he said absently, already having dismissed Barry as a threat in his mind. He was much more worried about his two brothers. "Listen, can we call it a draw now? I'm worried about my brothers." After all, if there was one guard, there could be others, and not all of them could be as weak as this one.

"Your…brothers? So you're saying that that pipsqueak alchemist is your brother? And he put you in that armor?" Barry was pointing at him with his cleaver gleefully now, and Al felt a sympathetic spike of anger on Ed's behalf.

"Yes, and he doesn't like being called small. He put me in this armor to save me." Al was still a bit distracted, staring at the building beside them, when Barry's mocking laughter caught his full attention.

"Oh, haha, this is just rich. This is just precious! Your brother you say? Ahahah!"

"What are you laughing about?"

"Oh, heh, nothing," Barry giggled, bringing his hands to his face and tilting his head to the side. It looked markedly disturbing with such a scary mask. "It's just, brotherly love is so beautiful," he mocked. "Get's me every time, even when it is a complete sham!"

"What do you mean?" Al said, suddenly feeling trepidation crawl through him.

"I mean that it's a joke! Artificial affection!"

"No," Al denied immediately, "I love my brother, and he loves me!"

"Oh?" His voice was mocking and disdainful now, sensing that he had finally hit a sore spot and digging his claws into it. "How do you know that? He was the one who put you in that shell, how do you know that he didn't make you feel what he wanted you to feel?"

"You don't know anything about us," Al shouted, anger clouding his mind, along with a dose of fear. What Barry was saying was terrifyingly close to what he had begun to suspect before, but he wanted to deny it with all of his being.

"How do you know you aren't just an imitation!?" The man continued to taunt him ruthlessly. "A series of fake memories and emotions created by your brother to serve him? Souls aren't quantifiable by science, so how would you _know_ the difference!"

"NO! I'm Alphonse Elric! I'm exactly like I was when I was a boy! I know I am!" It was the same argument he had had before, only this time, he wasn't just arguing with himself.

Barry, sensing his advantage, surged forward once more, battering the besieged boy with his cleavers. "Who are you trying to convince, _Alphonse Elric?_ Me or you!?"

Fear and horror gripped Alphonse's mind, as ruthless as Barry's cleavers, as the boy went on the defensive.

"You know it's true, don't you boy? Alphonse Elric never existed! You're just a fake, a construct made on a whim for your brother's entertainment!"

The words weren't true, Alphonse knew they weren't but he was in no state of mind to deny them. Barry was hitting on the head exactly what he had been doubting himself, and Alphonse, taken off guard, had no defense against the mental warfare.

"But…No! I was real! I had friends and family and there are pictures…!" Al gasped. There were pictures of a young boy with Edward that looked like the him in his memories…but there was also someone else who looked exactly like him. Alex.

And suddenly, like a flood, it all started to make a twisted sort of sense. He had never existed at all. He really was a fabrication, and Alex and Edward had been the true brothers all along. The pictures were of _them_ , and Alphonse was a fake.

 _"Al? There's something I've been meaning to tell you…but I'm afraid of how you'll react…"_

What had he been trying to tell him? What was he scared of? Was Al not what he thought he was? _Brother…?_

Despair, like the hurt he had felt when he was first created, gripped Alphonse almost physically painfully. And he reeled back from the utter shock of it, only just blocking most of Barry's blows. And suddenly there was no where else to go.

"Hehehe," Barry cackled, now directly in his face and pinning him against the stone. "It was all a lie from the very beginning. A fabrication! You were never real and you never will be!"

It just couldn't _be_ …! All the memories of his mother, growing up, training, all of the pain and the love he had experienced. A lie? They both lied to him? It couldn't possibly–no! _I can't accept that!_

But Barry was right. Where was the proof of his existence? He didn't see his body, it just conveniently disappeared. And even if Alex wasn't a part of it, he had shown up _afterwards_. Who's to say _his_ memories hadn't been fabricated either?

 _You're. Not. Real._

An image of Edward's face came up in Alphonse's mind and a surge of love accompanied it as always, but the boy couldn't trust it. Not in his current state. "But–but what about you," Al exclaimed, grasping at any hope. Barry seemed to falter in his taunts, pulling back slightly. "What about you?! If I'm just a fabrication, a fake, then doesn't that mean you are as well?"

Barry jumped back, his voice finally going silent for a moment. Alphonse leaned forward, his armor trembling and forced to use the wall behind him as support. His usually unshakable faith in his brother lay in pieces beneath Barry's feet and Alphonse's soul was in turmoil.

"I don't care," Barry finally said, tilting his head to the side. "My life was over when I got caught. Now I have a new one, and even though I can't feel anymore, I can still experience the pleasure of chopping people up and seeing their blood splatter. I still get to experience the joy of seeing their eyes go from terror to pain and finally emptiness." His voice became more high pitched and creepy as he continued on, and Alphonse could only listen in abject horror. "My name is Barry the Chopper. I kill, therefore I _am_!"

The psychopath lifted his cleaver high above his head, but something seemed to catch his attention to the side. He dropped his arm and straightened. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Al turned his head as well, catching sight of the man who had distracted Barry. He was standing only meters away, unnoticed amongst the drama. At least, Alphonse thought it was a man. He was large, only about five feet tall but bulbous, fat hanging grotesquely over his belt. His legs seemed to be a lot shorter than his arms, which hung almost to the ground. On of his hands was held to his face, his large finger being sucked in a wide mouth set upon an equally rotund bald head. His eyes were what disturbed Alphonse the most, however. They were pure white, set deeply into his face, and there didn't seem to be anyone present at all.

"What are you doing," the man said around his wet digit. Alphonse couldn't help but cringe in disgust and a little bit of fear. His voice was high pitched and breathy, distinctly childish and void of any sanity. "Lust said not to harm him…"

"What am I doing? _What am I doing_? Whatever I want!" Finally seeming to lose his questionable patience, Barry spun and attacked the newcomer with an insane cackle.

What happened next was almost too fast for Alphonse to see. At one moment, Barry was flying though the air wildly, cleaver above his head, and the next he was a heap of scrap against the concrete wall beside the confounded boy, a large indention where he had struck. Al tore his vision away from the stunned suit of armor and looked slowly back at the strange man. He had barely moved, only extending one of his gorilla like arms, not even bothering to take his finger out of his mouth. He looked over the carnage blankly before turning his vacant eyes on Alphonse, who couldn't help but cringe back a little.

"Lust says to bring you to her," he said, taking a step forward.

Wait…Lust? Lust was _here_? He had said the name before, but the boy hadn't registered it until just now. So if Lust was here, that meant this creature before him might be a homunculus as well! Alphonse couldn't make sense of it. There was just too much happening at once for he beleaguered boy to understand. One thing that registered loudly in his mind however, was that if Lust was here, then that meant that–

The intimidating man took another step forward, and Alphonse looked left and right for some kind of escape. But there were none. He was walled in on every side, and if this creature was anywhere as strong as Alex, then Al was in deep trouble. Judging by the scrap heap that was Barry the Chopper, that seemed to be the case.

"Why–why does she want me?" Al asked, trying to get the strange man talking so he could finish the transmutation circle he was drawing behind his back.

He only lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "I don' know. Lust wants you." He took another step forward, clearly not sane enough to hold much of a conversation, and Al scraped his chalk furiously into the wall behind him. Almost there.

Again, almost faster than he could react, the man before him was suddenly in his face, both hands grasping Al's shoulders tightly. Al gasped, hearing the metal creak dangerously, before he slammed his hand behind him, activating the transmutation circle. There was a great flash of white light as the wall writhed behind him, forming a spike of concrete. The weapon of alchemy thrusted forward, impaling the large man straight through the head, and Alphonse stumbled away from him.

The boy gasped in shock as the body fell back back a few steps, still managing to keep its feet even as its head was almost entirely gone. Bright red sparks immediately started emitting from the wound and before Alphonse's very eyes it reformed; first bone, then creeping muscle, veins forming and writhing, and then finally skin, the eyes reforming like liquid filling a balloon.

This time, when he stared at Alphonse blankly, there was a deep frown on his face, the look of childish innocence completely gone. Alphonse took a shaking step back. "That _hurt_ …"

A whimper echoed through Al's armor as the thing continued his advance, and the boy had not choice but to turn and run, even though he knew he would be caught.

He was right. He only made it a few steps before he was thrown to the ground with a startled cry and pinned down. Alphonse scrabbled at the dirt, unable to feel the weight on him but knowing it was there, but his arms were slammed into the ground with meaty fists. "Stop trying to escape," the thing whined.

"Let me go," Al shouted desperately, but he was denied.

"No. Lust wants you," he repeated. "Besides…I'm hungry."

"Wha–"

In a violent jerk of motion, the man grasped his hands tightly and ripped Alphonse's arms right off his body in a tearing squeal of metal. Alphonse cried out, terrified, as he felt his soul snap back into his center from his separated limbs, the only real physical sensation he ever felt in this body without Alex's help. The snap-back was as painful as always, but he terror was even more real as he could hear his legs meet a similar fate, his soul snapping like a rubber band. His torso was violently thrown to the side and he rolled several times before coming to a stop facing the monster, getting a full view of what the creature did next.

Al watched in horror as the thing fell upon his limbs like a lion on its prey, actually opening his wider than natural mouth and devouring his limbs whole. Steam rose around the wide creature and Al realized that his teeth were somehow coated with acid, disintegrating his armor like it was soft cheese. Al began hyperventilating, his mind blown white with terror, and the sounds came out of his armor even though he had no lungs or real voice.

Al was helpless and paralyzed, watching his limbs be destroyed right before his eyes. It was eating him. _It was eating him!_ Was he going to die?

The creature lifted the final metal piece and shoved it into his open gullet before turning his blank eyes slowly unto Alphonse. The boy whimpered in fear, completely helpless before this monster, as it stalked forward.

"Wait! Please!" Was this what Ed had felt when Scar had come after him? When he had watched his limbs destroyed and been helpless to stop his own death from coming? The man creeped forward heedlessly to Alphonse's pleas, his eyes glowing wickedly white in the pale moonlight. It was grinning now, teeth dripping with sizzling acid, and Al literally stared death in the face. There was no compassion, no humanity there.

"W–wait! Doesn't Lust want me?!"

This finally got the creature to pause. His look of childish innocence was back, his finger sneaking up to his mouth. "Lust?"

"Yes! You said Lust wants me," Al grasped onto his hesitation with desperation.

"But…I'm hungry."

"NO! Don't! Lust will get mad! She'll–she'll never forgive you!" Alphonse had no idea if this was really true; for all he knew, he could just be brought to her to be killed anyway. But it seemed to work. The thing's face scrunched up in something akin to sadness, as if he believed that this would really happen.

"Lust will be mad," it whimpered.

"Yes! Take me to her so she won't be mad!"

Several seconds passed by as the homunculus seemed to consider Al's words, and then he nodded, almost to himself.

"Lust wants you," he repeated once more, and without any more talk, he grabbed the terrified but temporarily relieved Alphonse by the shoulder spike and began to drag him towards the building.

Alphonse shut down and withdrew deep into his subconscious. He was alive for now, but who knew how long that would last. His eyes went dark, and the last thought he had before he shut out the world completely was for his brothers. He sent out a fervent wish that they were okay, and would come for him. That was the only thing he could hope for.

o-0-o

Dark. Pain. Where is this place? Where am I? I hear voices, but they do not mean anything to me…I can't wake up…Where is E–

A spike of pain obliterates all thoughts….it fades…where is Al–

Something soft strokes gently down my side before pain consumes me once more…

 _Wow, that was dark. Al lost it in this one, but don't they all at some point in the story? Sorry Al, I promise I'm not just taking out the fact that I'm sick on you. I actually did plan this out beforehand. To those of you who were disappointed that the last chapter was so short, here you go. A bit more._

 _And yeah, just wanted to point out that Al is human too. He has his doubts and he falls for tricks. So far, he has been like this story's infinitely strong wise man, but that is broken here. Now he's a scared kid. And who wouldn't be scared? Gluttony is effing terrifying! I always thought he was the scariest, just because he's completely nutters._

 _Now both bros are captured, so it's gotta be Ed next right? Right? You'll see. You probably won't see what's coming next, but I've been hinting so maybe you've figured it out._

 _Next chapter: Ed is glad he's small. And then he's really REALLY not._


	53. Chapter 53

Edward landed lightly with a soft huff, dust filtering around him as it was disturbed. He coughed lightly as it filled his nose, and for a moment he paused, waiting carefully for the dust to settle. At first, he could see very little, but his eyes soon adjusted to dim lights that lined the floor, which were bright after the darkness of the ventilation shaft. He stood, somewhat surprised that he could see at all. But he shouldn't have been, he guessed, looking at the dim yellow lights that lined the corridors. Abandoned his ass. He knew there was something going on here. His hunches were usually right.

Now aware that he might not be as alone as the abandoned outside implied, the boy stayed close to the wall, walking along the corridor's edge carefully and taking in as much detail as he could in the inadequate light.

He was standing in a long hallway made of concrete and devoid of all doors. The floor was covered with large tiles, the same color as the walls. Dust and debris covered the ground, but the middle of the corridor was disturbed, as if it had been walked over recently. So…at least this part of the lab had not been maintained for a while. That could mean that it was simply not oft used, but it could also just mean that there was only a very small crew operating this lab.

In a way, it made sense that the project might have been put on hold. After all, if Grand was the one who was running the operation…well, he wasn't exactly around anymore, was he? Shaking his head slightly to dislodge _that_ unpleasant memory, Ed continued to creep down the hallway.

After a few minutes of encountering no one, Edward straightened and walked to the middle of the corridor, picking up his pace slightly. There was nowhere to hide after all, even if he did encounter someone.

Ed regretted that rash decision a second later when the floor beneath him gave an ominous click. The young alchemist froze instantly and looked down, heart leaping into his throat. He had stepped on a depression plate. That could only mean….

 _Trap!_

Ed barely had time to react when a sharp scrape behind anounced that something was coming at his back. With a startled cry, he dove forward, hoping desperately that it was the right move.

It was. A rush of air passed over him, almost against his back, and the startled teen looked up just in time to see a wicked looking blade disappear back into the wall. He had no time to rest however, when a second blade fell from the ceiling, right for his exposed middle. Ed flipped onto his back and lifted his automail leg desperately, catching the blade as it fell with a sharp clank, tearing through his boot and scraping against the metal painfully. The teen gasped as the force of it nearly dislocated his hip, but he ignored the pain in favor of scrabbling out. Body straining with the weight, he shimmied his flesh leg aside before releasing the blade. It snapped down like a guillotine with a sick crunch, throwing debris into the air. Ed gulped in great gasps of air. That could have been him! The blade retracted into the ceiling menacingly slow, waiting for the next foolish victim to pass by.

Edward backed up slowly, still on his back, his gasps echoing loudly off the empty halls. Okay. _Definitely_ not abandoned.

 _Click._ "Ah…!" Ed startled as the floor gave behind him. He turned back slowly, heart racing. His hand, his treacherous, _stupid_ hand, sank into the floor with another ominous sound and the boy paled and clenched his teeth. He whipped back around as the walls surrounding him seemed to lurch and moan with mechanics coming to life.

The boy did the only thing that he could have done. He screamed and ran for his life.

Spikes shot from the walls, blades fell from the ceiling, boulders chased him and the floor was removed from his feet, only a black abyss to catch him. The alchemist was forced to use all of his agility and flexibility to survive the gauntlet he found himself in, flipping and dodging and _really fucking glad_ he was such a _small target_ or else he would be _dead_!

"What the hell! I did not just think – Ah!" A spike from the wall narrowly missed his eye and he was forced to stumble back.

It was a mistake, one that Edward would regret for a long, long while.

Another spike was coming straight at his head, and he was just slightly too slow to dodge it completely. With a curse, he snapped his head forward, but as the spike lodged itself in the wall it pinned his braid with a painful wrench of his neck. Edward only had time for his eyes to widen in surprise and a startled gasp before the rest of the spikes were upon him. He turned desperately to the side, using his automail arm to block as much as he could and dodge the rest, but he could not avoid them all. The next few seconds were a blur of motion and terror as the spikes rained down on him. One slammed into his steel shoulder, deflected, but still managing to nick his neck. A second he was able to hit aside with his forearm, but he could not bring it back in time to catch the one that came right after it. The wicked metal bit into his side, but Edward could only focus on the ones still coming. He jerked his hips forward and one lodged behind him, he slapped another with his flesh hand before it could pierce his face, and the rest of his body became a blur of movement until suddenly…the barrage stopped.

Chest heaving, Edward stayed perfectly still as his world slowly came into focus out of his narrow, adrenaline fueled tunnel vision, ears roaring from the force of his blood pumping through his veins. He was contorted rather awkwardly, his back arched against a spike lodged behind him, his legs spread apart between the riddle of spikes lodged into the wall, a toe barely supporting almost his entire weight. His arms were clenched defensively in front of him, still tensed and waiting for another assault. Ed's neck was bent uncomfortably backwards by the metal still locking his hair to the wall, and a spike behind his nape pushing it forward painfully.

Loud gasps and whimpers broke through his clenched throat as he flinched every other second, still waiting for another attack that didn't come. After a few seconds he was able to calm down enough to come back to reality.

"Fuck," he gasped, looking around wildly, but still not quite willing to move in case another trap was set off. He didn't know exactly what he had been expecting, but it was not _this_. A guard or two, maybe a few attack dogs, some alarms…but this…this was insane! Someone _really_ did not want anyone to get into this place, and they were very willing to make sure that didn't happen.

Ed groaned as his muscles spasmed in pain from his position and still he did not move, even as his airways were brutally restricted. There could be another switch, and with him pinned to the wall, he definitely would not be able to survive that. He tugged at his braid, the follicles pulling sharply, and barely managed to get his arm back to attempt to tug at the spike. It wouldn't budge, not without any leverage. And there was nothing to push against in this position. Instead, he began tugging at his hair, which was hopelessly tangled and knotted at this point. Letting out a growl of frustration, Edward did something he knew he would regret later. He transmuted his arm into a blade and cut through his hair viciously, the golden locks fluttering about his shoulders before falling to the floor in a glittering wave. His head snapped forward and he took in a great lungful of air, finally able to breath properly.

As his head cleared, a surge of anger gripped him and he was suddenly furious. Furious with himself for being so stupid as to try and attempt this alone, and furious with the fuckers who had set up these ridiculously elaborate traps in the first place. And _especially_ furious as his hacked hair fluttered against his suddenly much more exposed neck.

"Enough!" Edward wrenched himself from the wall, ignoring the other pressure plates he had set off by moving. He clapped his hands together in a sharp snap, the transmutation circle he wanted flashing behind his eyes like neon in the dark. Before any more traps could try to kill him, he slammed his hands to the ground, setting off a massive transmutation that smoothed the walls and fused any cracks together. There would be no more traps! No more games!

A bit tired from how much energy that took, but feeling grimly satisfied with his work, Edward stood. And then he fell to the ground with a startled gasp. "What–" He looked down at his side…and all the blood drained from his face.

There was a spike lodged in his right hip.

"What else," he groaned. With trembling hands, Edward forced himself to examine it. It looked vicious, about the length of his forearm, and it was sticking out of his hip like he was some kind of sick pincushion. He grit his teeth, and with a strangled cry, he grabbed the metal and yanked it out of himself.

Suddenly, the adrenaline that had been keeping him from feeling the wound fled and the pain hit him like a battering ram. He threw his head back in a silent scream before snapping his jaw shut sharply. Focus!

Quickly, he ripped his coat from his shoulders and transmuted it into bandages, wrapping himself up as best he could before he bled out. This was not good. The wound was only about the width of his thumb, but the metal had dragged across his hip bone before lodging into muscle. It hadn't pierced anything vital, but the gouge would undoubtably slow him down.

With a shuddering breath, he did his best to push back the pain, something he had an unfortunate amount of experience doing. He could ignore it. He had to. This mission was just too important to give up now. His brothers were counting on him. He was actually glad that Alphonse or Alex didn't follow him. The traps were set for people much larger, and they would not have escaped. Ed looked down at himself. _He_ had barely escaped. No, better they had been left behind. Still, he would have killed for Alex's healing powers right about now, or even Alphonse's immunity to pain.

Suddenly he was more pissed off than he had been in a long, long while. Running his hand through his now unfamiliarly short hair, he let out a dark chuckle and a smirk that was more anger than amusement pulled at his mouth. Whatever was in this lab must be really important if someone was going to so much trouble to defend it. He was going to find the truth and nothing would stop him, not some stupid traps and _definitely_ not something as trivial as pain!

Edward stood, only wincing slightly as his wound tugged, and pulled his shirt down over the bandages. He began walking forward, willing his muscles to obey his commands, and slowly his limp went away, pain ignored completely. By the time Edward finally came to the end of the hallway, traps no longer giving him any trouble, his considerable mind had shut away any weakness that could be taken advantage of. With only a small pause, he threw open the large double doors leading into the next room, and stepped through.

Edward's eyes were assaulted by the color red as the light changed dramatically, bathing the room in a crimson glow. It looked like some kind of lab. Long tables lined both walls in the long space, and in the middle was what appeared to be a pedestal, about the size of a human, what was clearly restraints resting limply on the empty surface. Edward shuddered. This must be one of the rooms they did experiments in. It wasn't a pretty sight, and for once, Edward was not glad to be right. Not glad at all. He walked into the space slowly, noting that this room couldn't have been used very recently, since the surfaces were covered in dusty and scattered lab equipment. Still, as he passed by the central table, he couldn't help noticing an ominous stain that looked black in the red light. He quickly looked away.

There was only one door on the other side of the room, and Edward started for it. A click reached Edward's ears, and he flinched badly, thinking he had set off another trap, and prepared for the worst. He was proven wrong a second later as the door on the opposite side of the room began to open.

Cursing his rotten luck–silently–Edward dove behind the only thing he could; the table in the center of the room. Heart pounding in his ears, he cautiously peered between the legs as someone stepped into the light.

Whoever it was was a stout man. He wore black shoes and pants, and around his ankles appeared to be a white coat. A scientist then. The man paused at the threshold of the door and Edward held his breath, tensing his muscles in case he needed to fight. The man merely mumbled to himself, however, and began to slowly walk into the room. Edward peeked cautiously from his hiding place, as it seemed he had not noticed him.

He squinted through the dimness. As he suspected, it was a heavyset man, older, maybe in his sixties. He wore a white lab coat and had short black hair, graying on the sides above an old wizened face. He seemed to be occupied with something in his hands, not even paying attention to his surroundings. Edward tensed as he came close to the table, but he only passed it, not even glancing up from the object he was fiddling with.

This was it. Should he make a break for the door or take this scientist out to question him?

Before Edward could make a decision, the man turned back around. Ed froze, holding his breath as the man paused. He was completely exposed from this angle, but if he moved, the man would see him. But he needn't have worried. The scientist didn't even look up from what he was holding, which turned out to be a small journal, and he wrote something down. He started walking forward slowly again, seeming to pace, and Edward got a really good look at his face. His golden eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be…But no, he looked exactly like the man in the photo. Edward never forgot a face…

As the man walked back across the table, Edward made a move. He stood silently, and like a panther, slunk through the room and behind the man. Not hesitating for a moment, he grabbed the taller male and slapped a hand over his face, muffling is startled cry. Edward muttered to himself at the awkward angle, and kicked the scientist's legs out from under him for better leverage. He smirked. That's better. Edward leaned forward with an unyielding grip and growled into the man's ear.

"Don't move."

Ed couldn't see the man's face from his position, but he could feel him tense as if about to struggle. Ed quickly brought his automail hand to his neck and squeezed in warning. The man stilled.

"Nod once for yes, shake once for no," Ed said quickly. After a moment's hesitation, and another warning squeeze of his throat, the man nodded.

"Your name is Tim Marcoh." Edward could feel the man tense beneath him again, but this time he did not try to escape. Hesitantly, he nodded once. The teen couldn't believe what he had just discovered. Tim Marcoh? Here? But how could that be? He thought Lust had taken him…or killed him. So why would he be _here_? Ed needed answers, and there was only one way to find out.

The younger alchemist thought furiously, considering the pros and cons of letting him go. He could raise the alarm if Edward wasn't careful, but at the same time he had caused enough of a ruckus earlier for that to have happened anyway, and no one had come running. "Is there anyone else here?" Marcoh shook is head once, a sharp jerk. "Will you scream if I let you go?" Another shake.

Decisively, Edward nodded to himself. He had to know why this man, who they presumed dead, was here. He released him and stepped back.

Marcoh let out a gasp of air, spinning quickly to face his assaulter.

"Who are you!? How did you get in here!?" He drew up to his full height, which was not really very considerable, and glared at the young man before him.

Edward snorted in the back of his throat. "It wasn't all that difficult," he lied, leaning slightly to the side to relieve pressure on his wound. He crossed his arms arrogantly.

"But the door, the traps!" Marcoh was guesturing wildly, but then his eyes narrowed, taking in Edward's appearance. Ed, not wanting to be examined too closely, lest his injuries be discovered, interrupted him.

"I found your note."

Marcoh's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"In your house," Edward clarified, wondering just what other note he could have been referring to. "You know, 'find the truth hidden within the truth.'"

Marcoh looked confused for a moment more, something Edward did not miss, and then his expression cleared, as if he finally remembered. "Ah. You found it then. Is that why you are here?"

"Yes," the boy said cautiously. "We read you research, and it led us here…"

"I see." Marcoh seemed to slump where he stood, a terrible sadness taking over his features. "Then you know then; the secret to the stone."

The boy nodded, frowning deeply and looking down. "And the truth hidden within the truth…it's that the military was condoning experiments to create it, wasn't it?"

"…Yes."

"Why are you here, Marcoh," Ed suddenly demanded, gesturing with his automail hand. He shifted again, his side burning hot and the wet bandages tugging. He had to finish this quickly. He wouldn't be able to ignore it forever. He was losing too much blood, and he was beginning to feel disoriented. "How did you get here? I saw your house. It was destroyed, and you were obviously attacked."

Marcoh shrugged. "Yes, I was. Strange people came after me, and I was barely able to escape with my life."

Ed's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This man was able to escape from Lust? He found that hard to believe, what with everything Alex had told him about the woman. So how did he manage that…? "Why are you here," he repeated.

The man before him sighed. "You are an alchemist, correct?"

Ed nodded.

"Then maybe you could help me. You see…I returned to finish my work.

 _Chuckles evilly. Yup that's right. Ed's hair is gone. Please forgive me. Don't worry, I've already made it up to you by drawing a sexy pic of him with short hair, which is now my profile pic. You see, I feel this overwhelming need to make Edward mine, and that means making a few changes. After all, what is the fun of keeping him exactly the same as he is in the series? Is this a fanfiction or isn't it?! Well, that's not the only reason. I really don't think Edward would ever risk his life for something as trivial as vanity. Honestly, I could see him just hacking off his hair without a second thought, just like he did here, if it meant a choice between his life or his looks. Doesn't mean he has to like it though, heh._

 _Oh and I drew Jäger too. I've set up a DA account and I'll be uploading those pics as I draw them._

 _And oh my, what is Marcoh doing at the fifth lab? Wasn't he captured? Weeeeeelll not exactly. You'll see._

 _Next chapter: Red, red and more red. Edward will never think of his favorite color the same way again._


	54. Chapter 54

_Hi guys! I strongly suggest listening to the FMA soundtrack while reading this. That's what I did while writing it, and it made me feel so dramatic I almost cried, haha._

 _o-0-o_

 _Tim Marcoh sighed. "You are an alchemist, correct?"_

 _Ed nodded._

 _"Then maybe you could help me. You see…I returned to finish my work."_

The very temperature of the room seemed to drop dramatically as the last syllable of Marcoh's intent fell from his lips, and the boy froze, golden eyes widening at the implications.

Marcoh, perhaps seeing the expression on Edward's face and sensing the sudden frigid atmosphere, hastened to explain himself.

"No, no, it's not what you think!" He held his hands up defensively to the suddenly horrified alchemist.

"Then _what_ do you mean," Edward said aggressively. "Last time I checked, your work involved mass genocide!" He leaned forward, as if contemplating whether or not to tackle Marcoh to the floor before he could do any damage.

Marcoh backed up a step, intimidated, but then he seemed to slump into himself, as if he deserved such a reaction. "How much do you know?"

"Enough," Edward spat. "You created weapons for the military during the Ishvalan Rebellion before deserting out of guilt. I read your _research_. I read about the _experiments_. So tell me, how exactly is your finishing your research _not what I think_?"

The older alchemist looked down in the face of Edward's ire. "Guilt. Yes. I am guilty of many things." He pinched his nose, hiding his black eyes behind a grizzled hand. "Experimenting on humans, creating weapons of mass destruction, following orders blindly without regards to my conscience…but don't you see? That's why I had to return."

Edward remained silent, clearly _not_ seeing. His golden eyes were intense, though his expression had softened from outright aggression to a deep seated suspicion and wariness.

Marcoh sighed, dropping his hand. "Come with me. I think it would be easier to show you than to explain." Without waiting for a response, the old man turned and walked out the door, slumped shoulders appearing to carry the weight of the world upon them.

After a pause of indecision, Edward followed, his uneven footsteps the only indication that he was there. As they boy shut the door behind him, the lab went dark.

o-0-o

Ed just didn't know what to make of this.

He limped along behind the Doctor, trying to make sense of what he had just discovered. This was the man they had been chasing across the country, ever since they heard a rumor about him in Xenotime. Whenever they thought they had gotten close to a clue, he would seem to slip away, like a phantom. And yet, here he was now, walking before him, as real as any man. It just didn't seem possible.

But maybe he was overthinking this. Maybe he should just be thanking this uncharacteristic luck that led him directly to the very man he had been searching for. There was just one little problem with that.

Edward didn't believe in luck.

His eyes narrowed at the back of the older man, his thoughts running as fast as they were able, only hindered by the pain in his side, a dull throbbing always in his peripheral.

 _How much do you know?_

What did he know?

Marcoh once worked for the military. According to Armstrong, he left when his conscience could no longer support the work he was being asked to do. He fled with his research, traveling around Amestris as a doctor. He settled in a small town and became its primary physician for two years. Then he was attacked and supposedly abducted by a homunculus, the same homunculus who he had been told was powerful enough to cut through trees with a flick of her bare hand.

This was where things just didn't add up. How did he escape? Just how powerful was this alchemist to get away from someone many times stronger than him?

Unless…unless he didn't.

Ed quickly looked down, hiding his eyes with his bangs. Furtively, he glanced about them, looking for some kind of clue that pointed to…something. They were walking in another nondescript hallway though, so there was very little he could glean from that. He couldn't say for certain with only half formed ideas in his mind, but he felt that there was more to this, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

His side suddenly gave a fierce throb, burning hot, and Edward held back a gasp of pain. Quickly making sure Marcoh wasn't paying attention, he lifted his flesh hand under his shirt and gently prodded the wound. He grit his teeth. Not good. It was soaked through. But there was nothing he could do about it right now…

Marcoh's voice interrupted his thoughts and Edward looked up, fighting off a slight wave of dizziness.

"You're the Fullmetal Alchemist, aren't you," Marcoh said softly over the padding of their feet.

After a pause of surprise, Edward answered. "Yes, I am. How did you know?"

The man snorted, as if that was a ludicrous thing to ask. "Everyone knows about you, Edward Elric. You are the youngest alchemist to ever pass the state exam. Fullmetal Alchemist, Hero of the People, you have built up quite the reputation."

His voice sounded more than a little interested in this fact, and Edward shifted uncomfortably. Silence fell between them once more, and he began to feel a bit of trepidation. Where were they going? To distract himself, he asked a question that had been bothering him for quite some time.

"Why did you leave a note?"

The man's shoulders seemed to tense slightly, and Edward wished he could see his face. This reaction again…

After a delay, Marcoh began to speak once more. "…I left it because…I hoped it would lead a talented alchemist like you here."

"Why? That was a dangerous risk. What if I hadn't connected your research to this place?" Edward replied quickly.

"But it did." Marcoh replied, just as fast. His voice was sharper now, and Edward didn't push him further, though there were many more things he could add. There wasn't any more time, in any case. They had come to their destination.

Marcoh stopped and placed his hands on the door. "This is why I had to come back." With a slight heave, the old man pushed the doors open, flooding the dim hallway with bright red light.

Edward squinted at the change, arm thrown up to block the too bright light after hours in almost complete darkness. At first all he could see was Marcoh's silhouette against the ominous glow. Marcoh glanced over his shoulder, black eyes glinting.

"The incomplete philosopher's stone."

Marcoh stepped to the side…and Edward's heart slammed into his throat. He took on shaking step forward, then another, then his legs surged forward until he was practically sprinting into the room, head whipping back in forth in wide eyed shock.

His chest heaved in adrenaline and horror as he came to a dead stop in the center of the room, stumbling badly because of his injury but too preoccupied to pay the pain any attention. Golden eyes darted around him, seeing but not quite comprehending what he saw.

It was a huge tank, surrounding him, making the walls. And it was filled to the brim with red water.

The vile, blood-like substance was thick and opaque, making it almost impossible to determine its depth. Several more tanks sat around the center of the room, circular tubes filled with at least four hundred gallons more, each. Below his feet, a huge transmutation circle lay painted on the smooth floor, the black strokes menacing in design. The sick red glow reflected off of Edward's skin, making him feel filthy, as if covered in the blood of others, and he shuddered deeply.

Edward gaped, rapid fire calculations going off in his mind at light speed. "How many thousands–" he choked, " _how many thousands of people had to die for this?!_ " He whipped his head back around to stare accusingly at Marcoh, nausea pooling in his gut.

The man was still standing in the doorway, framed by the darkness in the hall behind him. Edward could not read his expression, but he was looking directly at the boy, black eyes reflecting the red in the room around him, the glowing light making him look demonic.

"Do you really want to know?" When Edward could not respond, he slowly began walking towards him, his footsteps echoing loudly off the smooth, glass walls in the cavernous room. The young man was half tempted to take a step back. Marcoh seemed…different somehow than he had even a second ago. But as he got closer, he seemed to school his expression back to one of intense guilt. The change was so subtle that Edward almost thought he had imagined it.

Marcoh stopped just outside of the large transmutation circle that Edward was standing in the middle of. He looked down, a frown deepening his wrinkles. "I admit, many of these lives were destroyed by me. But this was going on long before I ever showed up." He looked Edward straight in the eye. "I am only responsible for about fifteen percent of the material here. This room was already created by the time I arrived twenty years ago."

Edward scanned the room once more, a new horror filling him. Just how long had this been going on? This was much much more material than only the prison could provide. Who had died; what towns, what _cities_ , had died to make all of this?

As Edward remained silent, Marcoh continued. "I came here to finish my work. I came back here to make sure that these materials could not be used by the military anymore. I would make the philosopher's stone and then steal it, taking the rest of my work with me."

"You think that by doing this," Ed said in a strangled voice, "that somehow all of your guilt, all of what you did, would disappear?"

"Edward…surely you must understand a man's need to try and undo what he has done." Ed snapped his eyes around in shock at the words. "Your brother…he was put in that body by you, wasn't he?"

"How–"

"How do I know? Because I have seen it before. Did you think you were the only one to have the idea to bond a soul to a suit of armor?" He began to walk along the perimeter of the transmutation circle slowly, and Edward tracked his progress with his eyes, the rest of him seized by Marcoh's words. "You tried to something beyond your means, and you lost his body as a result. You saved his soul…and are even now trying to restore him to his original form." He stopped. "I knew you were searching for the philosopher's stone. The fact that you found my research and came here…it must be fate." He tilted his head. "Will you help me, Edward?"

 _Alphonse…_

"Why don't you just do it yourself," Edward asked, his voice low, as if hypnotized, body throbbing with every painful heartbeat.

Marcoh began pacing once more. "There's still something missing. That research was everything I had, everything that was accumulated through years of research and testing, and still, the military has never come close to making the real stone. That was why this place was abandoned. Without me and my research, they could not possibly continue this work."

"So what do you think I can do about it?"

"You found my research. You are a prodigy. What I need is a new perspective. I think you know. Think! Use my research and finally find the answer that has alluded me for years…"

Edward looked down, thinking. It was here. All of the answers were here. This was his chance to finally set things right. Alphonse…Alex…he could save them, save them both…

But…

"But these are humans," he whispered staring into the red. "I can't…"

"Edward…" Marcoh was only a voice to him now, as if Ed was arguing with himself. "Do you really think that their lives have any value in this disembodied state? Even if in fact they were made using human beings, are you capable of restoring them back to life…? Using what's left of them to create the philosopher's stone is the only way to give their sacrifices meaning…"

The young alchemist suddenly felt very tired, and old way beyond his years. He walked slowly to one of the large canisters, limping heavily, and gazed at his own reflection in the smooth glass. "I can't believe that…" he whispered. "Just because they don't have bodies doesn't make them any less human…If I believed that, then I would have to admit that my little brother isn't human either…and that's not something I could do."

"Who is more important to you then…these strangers, who cannot ever be released from this form, or your brothers…who can yet be saved…" By now, the voice had changed completely, going from forlorn to laced with malice, but Edward could no longer notice such a detail. He was too far gone within himself to notice…

He placed a trembling hand against the smooth surface, and a reflection of Alphonse as he was before the tragic events of _that night_ stared back at him forlornly. He stroked the face of his younger brother. His vision blurred, and then it was the face of Alex as he was when they found out the truth only that day, his face bathed in the waning sunlight, a vision of despair. _I am going to die…_

No. These strangers were not more important than his family.

Edward's hand clenched into a fist, and with a shuddering breath, he climbed to the top of the canister with a moan of pain and a lot of effort. Standing atop it, he clapped his hands together and placed them on the ceiling, watching as a new transmutation circle was formed in the white glow of his alchemy, marking the smooth tiles with an image identical to the one on the floor.

It went against his conscience. It went against every fiber of his being that made him Edward Elric. But he would do this. For all the pain and suffering he caused in his arrogance to do something he _knew_ was wrong and dangerous. For losing his baby brother's body and trapping him in a suit of amor, depriving him of the joys of life; depriving him of growing up, feeling pleasure and pain. For the family Alex lost, for the life he was taken from, for bringing him to this dangerous world and then cruelly leaving him to die. Edward would do this.

For his brothers.

 _Next chapter: Can he do this…? Can Ed really set aside his beliefs to save his brothers? Does he have it in him…?_

 _Sighs…Oh Ed. Ed, Ed, Ed. We are so close to the finish line guys. I really don't have time to be writing, but here I am, ignoring my responsibilities and doing it anyway. I can't help it. The ending is so near, and this is the most massive self driven project I've ever gotten close to completing! And the great thing is, this is only the first book. Nice. I never thought I would get so passionate about this story, but here we are._

 _Anyway, Ed! Wake up! Stop being manipulated, you puny alchemist! And what the heck is up with Marcoh...strange..._


	55. Chapter 55

Second Lieutenant Maria Ross paced one way, then another. The ground blurred beneath her eyes, and were she to notice, she would realize that she was swiftly wearing a path in the grass beneath her feet.

They were standing outside of the library's first branch, the moonlight effectively lighting the area. Ross's men stood at attention as their commanding officer wore a path into the ground with her frantic pacing. They remained completely silent, afraid that if they drew her attention she would begin to lecture them of their incompetence once more. Not that a man there didn't believe they deserved it. They had failed in their task. Badly. The Elrics were missing, and not a one of them had noticed until it was too late. And they knew that no one felt that responsibility more acutely than Ross herself.

Ross paced and checked her watch for the fourth time in just as many minutes. They were late. Mustang had said twenty minutes, and he was late!

Right now, those boys were in terrible danger, she could just feel it. Her pacing became more frantic until she resembled a caged lion.

Brosh stood well out of the way of his rampaging partner. He knew better than to talk to her when she was in a state like this, although he didn't think he had ever seen her this worked up for the three years they had known each other.

Instead he occupied himself with the queer creature currently nestled into his arms. It was shivering slightly, and he rubbed it's back, trying to soothe it. It seemed to be struggling to stay awake, and every once in a while it would lift it's head from the folds of his jacket and look around, letting out piteous noises as if calling for someone before retreating back into the warmth. It seemed even more distressed than Ross herself, and Brosh groaned inwardly at what they had gotten themselves into. Just a bodyguard assignment, they said. Just a few kids that need to be watched over, he was assured. They had not been kind enough to inform him that he would be charged with the most troublesome teens in Central. And with what they had discovered…he shuddered. This was not what he had signed on for. He wasn't suited for this kind of cloak and dagger corruption game. He didn't want any part of government conspiracies, and yet here he was. He glanced over at Ross and gulped. It was too late though…there was no getting out of this now. They were too involved, and just like his partner, he wanted to see those boys safe again before they got killed.

A car, out of place in the silent darkness of the early morning, peeled quickly around the corner and into the perimeter, coming to an abrupt stop before the assembled men. The headlights flickered off and the door was thrown open. Mustang, dressed in his full military blues and a long black coat thrown over his shoulders stepped out of the vehicle, and he was swiftly followed by three more men; Lieutenant colonel Hughes, Major Armstrong, and Second Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye.

Ross, abruptly ending her pacing when the car had approached, walked up to the officers swiftly and snapped a salute, Brosh riding her heals and doing the same. The men behind them followed suit, and Ross remained silent, waiting for orders.

"Report," Mustang barked as soon as they were assembled.

"Sir," Ross began, dropping her hand and falling to attention, staring straight forward, "at approximately oh-two-hundred hours, Major Edward Elric and his brothers Alphonse and Alex disappeared, escaping from the window in their quarters."

"Where? Why?" Mustang said through gritted teeth, black eyes narrowed.

Ross hesitated momentarily, wondering just what to tell them. They didn't have time for this! They needed to get to those boys now! But Ross had no way of knowing just how deeply into the military this corruption went. What if she was talking to one of the very men that was behind this in the first place?

Armstrong, as if sensing her fear, spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "They discovered something, didn't they," he said, thinking of their research.

"Yes," Ross said quietly, deciding that she could trust the officers before her. After all, the Elrics themselves had spoken highly of all of them, calling them friend. If they trusted them, then they couldn't be involved…She lowered her voice so that the men behind them couldn't hear and told them everything she knew, from the brothers breaking the code to figuring out the projects conducted by the military. As she spoke, the expressions of the officers before her became more grim with her every revelation.

"Fifth Lab, huh," Hughes said once she was finished. "I've had my eye on that place for several years now, but we were never able to get close enough to investigate. To think that this was what was going on all this time…"

"And those idiots are jumping right into the fire once again," Mustang growled, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

"Human experimentation," Hawkeye said softly. "Sir…"

"I know," Mustang said, dropping his hand. "On my authorization, I order you to conduct a full sweep of lab five. Get in there, and get those boys and get out. Dismissed!"

"Sir," the men around him chorussed. Ross relaxed slightly, relieved. They could do this. They would get Edward and his brothers back.

Armstrong immediately took control of the men and began barking orders, as Hughes left to find a phone to call backup. They would need all the help they could get.

Soon enough there were only four people left on the field; Ross, Mustang, Hawkeye, and a reluctant Brosh.

Mustang was looking down at the ground, thoughts rushing through his mind furiously, a deep frown on his face. Riza placed a bracing hand on his shoulder and the colonel twitched, leaning slightly into her strong support. After a moment, Riza patted his shoulder once before leaving to wait next to the car.

"Sir," Ross said, pulling the colonel out of his thoughts. Before she could continue though, a yowl pierced the tense quiet and Brosh grunted in alarm as his unexpected charge wriggled in his grasp. Mustang looked over with wide eyes as the small chimera broke free of the lieutenant's grip and leapt at him. Out of reflex, he caught the creature and held it at arms length. It struggled for a moment, crying, and he instinctively brought it to his chest where it clung to him immediately.

"Jäger?" Mustang said in bewilderment.

"You know that creature," Brosh asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I was there when…" he said distractedly before abruptly cutting himself off. "Why is it here?"

"Alex left it behind," Ross said grimly. "Along with this." He looked up sharply. "A message was left for you." She held up her clenched hand and pulled open the crumpled note, regretting that she had damaged it in her distress. Mustang took it from her hand and read it swiftly. His expression became pinched. Ross watched the play of expressions over his face carefully. He really did seem to care…She had been right to come to him.

"That damn kid," he growled, carefully placing the note in his pocket before snapping his eyes back up. "Anything else?"

"No sir," both officers saluted and Mustang nodded sharply. "Then gather with everyone else. _We leave now._ " He spun abruptly, causing his coat to fly behind him and Alex's chimera to grip onto his shoulder and cling there, and strode to the car. He climbed in, already telling Riza to drive, and the door shut behind him.

Ross turned away, worry renewed at his reaction. So they had known that something was coming. They had known and done nothing. But, she supposed, how could they have known? How could Alex have known? She shook her head. Whatever the case, they needed to pull this off.

Before something tragic happened.

o-0-o

Edward Elric's world was nothing but a haze of red and pain and urgency, calculations and alchemical equations passing behind his eyes in rapid flashes of inspiration. Marcoh had long since fallen silent, staring at the boy with unreadable eyes. Ed ignored him, too absorbed in his work.

The notes, Marcoh's notes, drifted in and out of his mind, along with his own ideas that he had compiled ever since he had first heard of the philosopher's stone. He could do this. He could create it where others failed, where Marcoh had failed. He _would_ …

The blood red liquid in the tanks swirled in the corners of his eyes, even as he stared at the transmutation circle branded onto the floor in a desperate effort to ignore it. It moved as if there were unseen currents within, though Edward knew there was none. It moved like it was _alive_ …

Edward was grateful as another wave of agony abruptly interrupted that thought, his wounds becoming more painful by every dragging minute. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about all the lives that were sacrificed to make the work he was about to finish. He didn't want to think about how he was just as heinous as the researchers before him to go through with this. He wielded his pain like a weapon to fend off the thoughts, and desperately focussed only on the task before him.

As he worked, he mumbled to himself, coherent and incoherent thoughts blending together as he talked himself through it. "Storage tank above this floor….is there enough materials? There has to be…Marcoh's notes suggested using two circles, but that's not enough…Gunna need to boost this transmutation circle…" he gently placed his hands on the ground at the edge of the circle. A flash of light later, the design had changed, becoming more complex. He pulled back and grunted in satisfaction at the work. Now for the ceiling…

o-0-o

As the boy worked, the alleged Tim Marcoh stood aside at the edge of the room, looking on with an interested expression. Not a bad performance on his part, not bad at all. The kid was following his suggestions hook line and sinker. All he had to do was dangle the fate of his brothers over his head like a lure and he blindly stumbled down the path the man wanted. Humans really were pitiful, predictable creatures. But _so_ easily manipulated. He had almost had a hiccup when the boy kept mentioning some note that the real Marcoh left, but the man was _still_ able to pull it off. _And the award for the best leading actor goes to…_

He could not for the life of him determine what the foolish boy before him was doing, but then again, he never did understand alchemy. Whatever it was though, it looked impressive, at the very least. If all he had heard about this boy was true, then they would have their stone by dawn. He chuckled to himself in amusement as the boy stumbled, clutching at his side in pain. The kid didn't seem to notice just how much blood he was losing however, as he continued to work without pausing. The man eyed the blood on the floor, the trails left every where the boy had walked, and wondered idly if they would get the stone before he bled out and died. It would be annoying, but not too big a deal. After all, there were other alchemists they could manipulate.

But Lust might be a bit put out that her pet alchemist died before finishing the job. She, after all, had put the most work into this particular project. Oh well. He grinned, exposing his white teeth. Not his problem if that other one died as a result. That was her game, not his.

He frowned slightly to himself as the kid suddenly stopped working, just staring into the middle of the circle with a blank expression on his face. The man sighed, checking his wristwatch. He hoped this would be over soon. He hated having to be in such an ugly form for so long…as the kid continued to stand still, the man pushed himself off the wall in annoyance. He would get him moving again. Time for Act Two.

o-0-o

Edward stood on the edge. Literally and figuratively, he stood on the precipice of all of his beliefs, all of his codes that made him, him. He was at war with himself, and the pain was no longer working to keep his conscience back.

 _I can save them…_

 _But they are people! Just like me! Just like Alphonse…_

Alex's face as he learned the truth… _I'm going to die_ ….

Alphonse as he gazed up into the raining sky, unable to shed tears for his miserable existence… _I want to be human again…_

 _Are these strangers more important than your family?_

Were they? Were all of these lives trapped in that red water really worth less than the souls of his brothers?

These strangers that can't be saved…

But did that matter? Could he really be so selfish as to chose two lives over all of them? Who was he to decide this? Who the hell was _he?_

His side throbbed hotly, sending a wave of dizziness over the besieged boy, and he welcomed it. _Deserved_ it. Deserved the agony for what he was considering…

The young alchemist fell to his knees before the circle, but did not move to activate it. Would…would Alex and Alphonse really _want_ him to do this? Would they consider their lives worth more than all of these trapped souls around him? But he was the eldest, he had to save them…It was his fault! His fault…But…

"What's the matter, boy," the voice of Tim Marcoh intruded on Edward's struggles, but Edward barely twitched.

Would they…?

Edward closed his eyes in defeat. No. No they would not. "I can't," he whispered.

Edward's world was suddenly turned on its head as a massive blow to his shoulder caused him to slide violently to the side. The teen yelped in pain and surprise as he was forcefully removed from his seat and thrown onto the ground. He looked up in surprise to find a leering Marcoh standing over him, a look of disgust on his face.

"What do you mean you can't, you damned pipsqueak. I expected better."

Edward's golden eyes widened in shock as the voice of Marcoh was replaced by an almost effeminate and much younger sounding male's voice.

"What…?"

The man ignored him and looked up and to the side, seemingly into the open air. "You hear that? Your pet won't go through with it. Time for Plan B."

"Who the hell are you," Ed growled, trying desperately to get back to his feet. But for some reason, his limbs weren't responding to him, even as he was seized with alarm. Even though he felt a painful spike of fear, his heart only continued to beat sluggishly.

'Marcoh's' face contorted into an uncharacteristic sneer as he looked down at the struggling boy. "I know, I am a wonderful actor. You didn't suspect a thing. All those weeks of guarding that fool paid off."

"What do you mean? Where's the real Marcoh?!"

The smile dropped off the man's face abruptly and he kicked Ed in the middle, knocking out his breath in an agonized wheeze. "Shut up. I don't have anything to say to the likes of you. Though I know someone who does."

"You can drop the form, Envy," a husky female's voice came from the direction of the door, and Edward looked up in alarm through watering eyes. "You don't need it anymore."

A beautiful figure drifted gracefully through the open door, sliding out of the darkness like the moon emerging from beind the clouds. Black waving hair drifted over petite shoulders and red lips and eyes gleamed as brightly as the tattoo on a generous bosom. Edward gaped as a spark of recognition spiked through him, and he desperately tried to catch his breath.

"Finally," the imposter groaned. "I thought I would never get out of this form…" A reaction, almost alchemical in nature, began at he base of his feet with a bright white light, sparking over his entire form. Edward stared on in shock as he seemed to shimmer before changing shape completely, going from an old man to a young, almost effeminate man. He was slim, toned and tall, his exposed midriff cut with muscle. He grinned a menacing smile beneath gleaming red eyes and long black hair, held back by a band over his forehead. Meagre clothing barely covered the rest of him, only a short black shirt and pants of the same material. His long legs were exposed, and Edward saw an identical tattoo to the woman's on his leg.

"What do you think," the shapeshifter asked him, leaning down over Edward's heaving form. "You like it?"

"Homunculus," Edward spat, as if it was the most disgusting insult. He snapped his golden eyes over to the woman, who stood with her arms crossed over her middle, a smug expression on her face. "You bitch. You're the one who's been stalking my little brother, manipulating him all this time!" He growled deep in his throat, almost anomalistically. "Lust."

Envy pulled back with an annoyed frown even as Lust's smirk became broader. She closed her eyes, as if enjoying a pleasant breeze. "Ah, yes, that little one. He will serve me very well in the years to come."

Edward shuddered, lifting himself painfully to his hands and knees. "What do you mean!?" Edward was thrown violently to the side once more as Envy, annoyed at being ignored, kicked him viciously in the face for his impertinence.

"None of your damn business, pipsqueak. Now, get on with the transmutation, we don't have all day."

"DON'T call me that," Ed grunted angrily, sitting up once more and spitting blood from his mouth. He glared at his tormenters with piercing golden eyes. "What the _hell_ makes you think I'm going to do what you want? There's no way I'm going to help you!"

Lust sighed and looked slightly annoyed, as if talking to a misbehaving child. "Forgive me, I forgot to provide you with proper motivation."

"What–" Ed was interrupted by a dull scraping coming from the hallway, and he flicked his eyes over to the door in fear of another monster. He recoiled in shock with a whimper of distress.

There, walking through the doorway, was another homunculus. But Edward barely payed attention to it's menacing bulbous form, because being dragged behind him were the two things Edward held most dear in this world.

"Al! Alex!" Edward shouted desperately and tried to stand but he was kicked down by Envy once more. He looked up through watering eyes at the terrible state of his two brothers and despaired.

Alphonse looked the worst off. He was being dragged by his shoulder plate, and it looked like his limbs were completely gone from his battered form, ripped away by some ungodly force. Alex appeared to be alive and whole, but his clothes were destroyed by some fierce battle. His red-violet eyes were open and blank, reflecting the room around him but not his soul. It was like he wasn't even there, and he was being dragged limply by the nape of his neck. Alphonse whimpered as he was pulled to a stop and discarded by the obese homunculus, and Alex did not react at all as he was further dragged to the other side of Lust, both brothers on either side.

"You see," Lust continued, sitting on the broken armor as if he was no more than a piece of furniture, "I collected them the second I knew you were on your way here."

"You bitch," Ed gasped, clutching at his injury. "What did you do to them?!" His heart raced and he felt sick, but he could do nothing, no matter how much he willed it. He was too beaten down.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about what we've already done. I would worry more about what we will do." She smiled deviously, red lips quirked, and stroked down Alphonse's side. "Now, make me what I want, and you might just survive this little ordeal."

"What do you even want with it anyway!?" Edward cried desperately. "Why don't you just make the damn thing yourself? _Why us?"_

Lust looked down at the floor beside her feet at the comatose form of Alex. The boy still had not moved at all since the beginning, and Edward's heart raced in fear to what they might have done to him. "I want to save him."

"What?" Ed whispered, strangled.

"Just what I said," Lust stood from Alphonse and walked around Alex's body. Gracefully, she crouched to her knees and leaned over him, her long black hair tickling his chest. "You see, I was the one who saved him from your cruel abandonment. After that, I suppose I felt a bit…possessive." Lust gazed down into Alex's vacant red eyes and gently brought her hand to his face, stroking a strand of golden hair into place. To her surprise, Alex twitched away, a spark of consciousness flashing once before fading back into blankness. She smiled. How cute. The little tiger was resisting…

"Don't touch him," Edward spat, shuddering at her possessive crouch over his younger brother.

"And what right do you have to say that," Lust purred. "You were the reason he is in this state in the first place. I was the one who saved him, protected him, guided him." Edward flinched back from her words, but she was relentless. "You abandoned him to death, then you foolishly allowed him to consume poison…do you have any idea how close to death he was, how much pain he was in?" Her words were sharp, but while she meant them, she was also enjoying the pain she was bringing across the boy's expression. "Even now he is dying…the philosopher's stone can save him…"

"Brother, don't listen to her!" Alphonse's voice suddenly shattered the tense quiet, jerking Edward out of his almost hypnotized reverie. He snapped his eyes to his younger brother, another stab of pain in his heart at seeing him so broken. But the youngest Elric's eyes were blazing red, piercing. "Don't listen! Alex would _never_ want us to use the philosopher's stone on him if it meant sacrificing other people. And neither would I!"

"Shut up!" Envy stalked over to the broken armor and kicked him viciously in the middle, sending him sliding back into the wall with a startled cry.

"Alphonse!" Edward tried to stand to go to his little brother's aide, but his limbs were no longer responsive and dizziness blurred his vision. Alex twitched again, and Lust watched him with interest. He seemed to be becoming more responsive now. Soon enough he would be as resistant as Greed. They needed to finish this soon…

"Enough of this," Envy exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "I don't care if they are important sacrifices, I'm going to kill them if I have to listen to any more of this nonsense." He stalked over to the shuddering form of Alphonse and appeared to be about to crush him with his foot, but a menacing child's voice interrupted him, to his annoyance.

"Oh, Lust, can I eat him?" The large homunculus, having been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke up. He brought his big meaty hand to his face and sucked on a finger, looking longingly at Alphonse.

"Oh, Alright," the woman said, still not looking up from her limp charge. "Go ahead. I suppose we can find others to take their places…Although this one doesn't have much time left." She stroked Alex's face once more, and this time was startled as the boy grabbed her hand weakly. "Shh, little one. It will be over soon…"

The large man grinned unnaturally widely and immediately fell upon a terrified Alphonse. Al let out a distressed whimper as the creature began to feast on his lower abdomen with sharp teeth, steam rising where steel met acid.

Edward watched on in horror. This is all just a nightmare. Just a nightmare! "Stop it! Please! He's my little brother!"

"And you can save them both," Envy said coldly. "Now will you do it or just watch him die!"

The desperate boy's eyes snapped between his two brothers in despair, and he watched in horror as one was possessed and the other was being eaten right before his eyes. It was never meant to be like this. _Why did it have to be like this!?_

Alphonse whimpered in fear and the creature consuming him began eating faster, now reaching his chest plate.

Edward snapped. Something in his mind broke and violently recoiled into his center, and he roared in denial, his voice breaking from the strain.

"NO!" He slammed his hands together and snapped them to the floor on the edge of the transmutation circle before anything more could happen. Before anything _worse_ could happen.

The red, red world turned white.

 _Next Chapter: The Truth._

 _This is it guys. One more chapter and then the epilogue. End game. The next chapter might be pretty long, so you might set aside a bit of time. I'm already working on it and I expect it to be out tomorrow, so don't mind the cliffy too terribly much. I promise it will be worth it._

 _Please show me your support if you like this story. I really appreciate every comment, hit or fav/follow. It motivates me like nothing else. Now, back to writing. See you soon!_


	56. Chapter 56

The world was red. The world was quiet.

Pain was my only companion in this place, and I couldn't think for it. Where was I…who was I…

I drifted in and out of dreams. I was home, my lover's sweet scent filling my nose as I lay on his side of the bed in the early morning. Our little one was still that morning, granting me peace and comfort…Suddenly I was terribly sad, a deep longing tearing through me and I burrowed deeper into the covers…

I was in a field of flowers, a beautiful black haired man beside me, stroking a strand of my long brown hair from my cheek. I smiled. Laughter drew my eyes to the field before us, where two beautiful children played…

Pain pulled me from this place, and I was consumed with the feeling of being dragged, the smooth floor frigid beneath me…Scraping to my left, but I could not place it…the pain eased, and I fell once more…

I was on the road with my brothers, the grass comfortable beneath me in the quiet night. I scooted closer to the fire and leaned against Alphonse's cool back, sharing in his calm. Edward smiled from across the flames and tossed a gleaming object to me. It was his pocket watch, glimmering and moving in slow motion as it fell towards me. I lifted my hands to catch it.

Edward's face suddenly contorted in fear, and his voice broke into my mind, contrasting dramatically with the calm night.

 _Alex! Alphonse!_

The watch struck the ground and shattered…

Momentarily I was pulled from my dreams as the pain in my chest grew unbearable, and a scene of red flashed before me. The walls were red, the ceiling was red, the air was red…Black figures stood over me and a gentle touch drifted over my cheek. I flinched back, afraid, although I couldn't remember why…I struggled to stay awake, but the exhaustion was so absolute…

The scene changed. Winry stood before me, Edward's watch clutched to her chest, pretty blue eyes glimmering with emotion. "Promise me…Promise me you will return."

I smiled. "I promise to return as long as you promise to always wait for us."

She smiled back, her eyes watering. "Idiot. What is family for?"

 _Brother, don't listen to her! Alex would never want us to use the philosopher's stone on him if it meant sacrificing other people. And neither would I!_

Alphonse's voice shattered my dreams, and I was pulled forth once more. He was afraid. Why was my little brother afraid? What did he mean…sacrifice…the philosopher's stone…the philosopher's stone!

I struggled. Another soft touch on my cheek startled me. I pulled away. Black, glimmering hair surrounded me. I struggled harder. What was holding me back? What was this pain? Alphonse! Edward!

 _…I'm going to kill them…!_

No. NO. Leave them alone! Leave my brothers alone!

 _Lust, can I eat them?_

 _Go ahead…_

Stop it. STOP IT. They're my…

 _Stop it! Please! He's my little brother!_

Another touch, and this time I gripped the hand, though my strength was gone. I turned my head, trying desperately to get out of the haze that trapped me. Edward kneeled on the floor, his expression anguished and shoulders bowed, bedraggled strands of blonde hair fell around his face and in his eyes. Defeated. Ed…Ed! Around him was red, so much red…it swirled and contorted, almost calling out to me…

My older brother threw back his head and howled, the sound so full of grief and fear that my body jerked in response to go to him. Something tried to hold me back, but with a vicious force of will, I broke it, feeling the bond physically snap against my soul. Agony more intense than that I was already feeling tore through me, but I moved through it anyway. Edward was in trouble. My brothers were in trouble! I was already on my feet, my body feeling as if it weighed several tons, but I would not be stopped even as claws ripped at me from behind, the flashes of pain nothing compared to the agony of my soul. An enraged scream tore from behind me, but I could not hear it, such was the roaring in my ears.

Edward's cry cut off abruptly and he slammed his hands together. I ran as fast as I could towards him, my hand outreached. I had to stop him. I couldn't comprehend what was going on but I had to stop him.

Edward brought his hands apart with a spark of white alchemy. I watched as if in slow motion as he brought them to the menacing black lines before him.

Halfway.

Faster…my limbs were so heavy…!

Three quarters.

Faster! I reached out.

Just as his hands were about to meet the floor, he looked up. Time stood still as our eyes met. His expression fell and eyes widened in terror, pupils narrowing to onyx pinpoints, making his eyes look almost entirely golden, and all remaining color draining from his face. I was so close…! My hand just barely touched the smooth skin of Edward's cheek, wet from tears.

Ed's hands met the floor.

My world went white.

o-0-o

The world was quiet once more. And calm. I woke slowly. The pain…the agony I had been feeling for so long…was gone…

Light filtered through my closed lids, and I opened my eyes slowly.

White. The world was completely white.

Did I die? Was I finally free of all of the pain and despair? Was this what it was like to finally be taken from the mortal plane? I laughed at myself inwardly. This wasn't so bad. All this time, ever since Lust had told me, I had feared death, feared my own end. But this wasn't so bad…

Footsteps echoed in the silence of the void. For a moment I didn't react, just reveling in the peace. A pang of regret flitted through me and I closed my eyes once more. I guess I wouldn't make it home after all…I'm sorry Kyle…Alyssa…

"Wake, young one. It's time to wake up." A strong male's voice drifted through the air as if the very space was carrying the heavy sound to my ears. I opened my eyes once more. Was that God? Had I gone to heaven? Funny, I never have believed in him…

"Face me, my son."

I sat up, my body feeling heavy, but no longer weighed down by pain. Dully I noted that I was dressed completely in black, the material clinging to my skin like soft velvet. I lifted my eyes sluggishly and stared at the strange figure before me.

The man, for he was clearly a man, was large and shrouded in shadow, completely opposite of the void space surrounding us. I could not see his eyes, nor any other features besides his silhouette.

"Who are you?" My voice was soft, husky.

My only response to that was a grin. White teeth were exposed on the completely black figure, seeming to jump into of existence from the shadows.

"Don't sound so defeated, my wayward son. You have not died. Your story is not over."

A spark ignited in my heart, and my dull eyes widened. "I'm…I'm not dead?" So there was hope? This wasn't the End?

His grin widened before disappearing once more into darkness. "I have been watching over you closely. Since the very moment you were created, even _as_ you were created. It was interesting, seeing one of you born without my direct interference…"

"You're the one…" I realized. "You're the one who created the others."

He tilted his head. "Well, maybe I did interfere a little…" he said, completely ignoring my words. "You see, I'm quite the meddlesome old man. I couldn't help but poke my nose in once I realized what was happening." He turned and began to walk around me slowly. "Do you want to know what really happened, Alex?"

I did not answer, but it seemed like he did not really need my input.

"When little Edward and Alphonse desired to bring their mother back, they were doomed to failure. Too young, too inexperienced, and so very, very wrong in their assumptions. They had no idea about what they were really trying to do…You see, there is no such thing as bringing people back from the dead. There is only the bait of such a feat that I had planted millennia ago to encourage people to make my children. The homunculi." The man seemed to sigh, his shoulders heaving once. "It is a rather imprecise process, and most of the time it fails. _Your_ transmutation was a failure. They didn't have the concentration or the drive to make a perfect doll of their mother. Little Edward lost his focus, and you became an image of little Alphonse instead…"

This wasn't news…we had already figured this out, although the revelation that this man was behind it was interesting. I still felt disconnected though, and merely stayed silent to listen, tracking his movements as he wandered around me.

"Still, I felt there was an opportunity in this failure that I could not pass up. You see, I have this little character flaw of mine that I just had to get rid of…My empathy."

Empathy?

"In order to become the perfect being I know I can be, I use my children to safeguard my flaws, the things that make me imperfect. Although there was little chance of you surviving, I transferred my empathy to you…It as such a waste, but it couldn't be helped…"

He transferred his empathy? Was that why…?

"Much to my delight, I found out that my Lust was there. My little girl can be such a handful sometimes…" He chuckled to himself, appearing to slip his hands into unseen pockets. "She has quite the infatuation with you, my son. I'm so very glad she was able to save you."

My mind was stuck. His empathy. _That's_ why I could feel the emotions of others.

His grin was back. "My name is Truth, but you can call me Father."

Truth…I had heard that somewhere before. That's right. Mustang often used that name as a curse, or called his name in thanks, as I would a god. Truth was what all alchemists sought. Truth was the God of Alchemy.

The menacing deity crouched before me, and I peered into his black face, disconcerted. "I'm ready to welcome you to our family, Empathy," his smile fell, "but there is one little problem. You interfered with my sacrifice's transmutation. I'm afraid I must demand a price."

He stood tall, towering above my seated form and seeming to look down upon me. An energy gathered around us and my hair stood on end, causing to grit my teeth in alarm. As the pressure built, Truth seemed to grow larger, until suddenly the energy peaked.

From behind Truth, a massive form burst from the white floor, causing me to jerk halfway to my feet in fear. Up and up the form went, until it shuddered to a halt several stories above us. Truth moved to the side and I got my first good look at the Gate.

I gaped, staring at the source of all alchemy that I had only heard stories of. Only rumors, and the shouts of Edward in the night. But it was real. It was massive. And I was afraid. My apathy fled and my heartbeat quickened.

This was what had taken Edward's arm and leg and what had taken Alphonse's entire body. The doors were made of stone, thick and heavy. Etched into its ancient looking surface was a great diagram, branching off like a huge tree, and archaic symbols I could not possibly understand.

A great boom resounded from the other side of the door, as if something was trying to get out. I jumped badly, clenching my hands on trembling knees.

"It's unfortunate, but even I must pander to the gate's demands." Truth was standing behind me now, and I was beginning to feel trapped. "Now what should I have it take, because something must be taken…you understand this…Equivalent exchange, you know…" He played with a lock of my hair, but I was completely seized by the terrible sight in front of me. "Relax, my son…I won't let it destroy you…Hm, I can't have it take anything physical. You would just heal…I know. I'll have it take your hope."

"My…hope," my voice trembled in question. What did that mean?

"Yes," his voice was sad and regretful, almost fatherly, as if he was trying to comfort me. I felt sick. "You see, I felt that annoying little spark in you when I told you you weren't yet dead. That thread that's holding you to the world beyond the Gate; it is what has been driving you, but also what is holding you back…Yes, I will take your hope…It's time you saw the Truth…"

The immense doors in front of me cracked in a resounding boom and I watched in terror as they moved slowly open, groaning. I tried to back away, but Truth's hands gripped my shoulders from behind, unyieldingly strong.

A black abyss was revealed, and then a nightmare began. A great eye opened in the center of the swirling blackness, and I felt a presence that was menacing and cold. Calculating. Emotionless.

I cried out as black hands reached out towards me and gripped my body, tethering me to the Gate. Their touch was like ice, and I began to struggle.

But it was much too late for that. With a resounding yank I was pulled into the abyss. I looked back at Truth, reaching out in desperation, but he merely waved to me before turning his back and facing away from the Gate. The doors slammed shut.

I screamed as I was pulled at a breakneck pace through the darkness, the light behind me cutting off abruptly and plunging me in complete blackness. Images began shuttering behind my eyes, so fast I could barely process them. It was my memories; the ones I clung to so desperately in this world, the memories of my past life. Rapid fire, they flashed past me in the gloom, clearer than I had seen them in a long, long time. My mother, my father, my lover, my dreams of Alyssa, my best friends, my _life_.

And then abruptly I stopped. My hair settled around my shoulders once more as I panted, staring around me with wide eyes. The black hands writhed across my entire body still, grabbing greedily at my flesh. I shuddered and struggled, wondering if this was where they would tear me apart.

The fear was baseless, because that did not happen at all. No, what did happen was so much worse.

The world lit up in front of my red-violet eyes and, as if on a movie screen, a scene began playing.

It was of me, _Alexandria_ , and my black haired lover, my Kyle, sleeping peacefully in our bed. I gasped as I recognized it as the night I had been pulled from my body.

Moonlight bathed the room in a soft glow. I was sprawled out on my back, my hands thrown above me and my round stomach exposed to the night air, shirt ridden up. The covers were kicked to the bottom of the bed, and my long brown hair was a tangled mess. My love slept beside me, one sturdy arm thrown over my middle, his chest and shoulders bare in his sleep. The scene was so peaceful, and so beautiful, that unbidden my hand reached forward and tears fell from my eyes.

But the peaceful scene was shattered not a moment later. Blue sparks began to dance over my body, lighting the room before extinguishing just as quickly. Then the nightmare began. My body convulsed violently as the last spark disappeared, jerking my lover awake. It began convulsing, and large green eyes opened wide. Kyle began screaming my name, but my body could not respond, its soul already gone. Hands desperately clutched at my chest as my body convulsed. Kyle grabbed his cell phone off the nightstand and dialed a number, screaming into the receiver a second later while still trying to hold me down.

The scene changed in a swirl of mist and my body was now in a hospital, doctors scrambling this way and that, trying to restrain me or trying to drug me. I was hooked up to a heart monitor that beeped so rapidly it almost sounded like one continuous noise.

On doctor almost injected me with something, but he was stopped by another. "No, you can't! The baby!"

He was shoved off though. "If this keeps up, _both_ of them will die! Her heart can't take the strain!"

My body was screaming now, inhuman sounds emitting through my mouth.

"Dammit! What's wrong with her? What's causing this?"

"Sedate her!"

The scene changed once more.

My lover paced in a nondescript hallway, head clenched in trembling hands. Back, forth, back, forth…suddenly he whipped around, anxiety and grief so out of place his handsome face.

A white coated man appeared through the misty edges of the scene. His shoulders were slumped in defeat. Kyle walked up to him and grabbed his shoulders, shouting something, but I could not hear it. I was openly sobbing now, knowing what had happened. My fears were confirmed a second later when the doctor merely shook his head.

My love's face fell into one of the most heartbreaking expressions I had ever seen. He fell to his knees as his entire world was ripped out from underneath him.

Suddenly he was alone, the doctor disappearing in a swirl of white mist, and the scene changed around his hunched form. He was in an open field now, the sun bright and cheerful, laughing in the face of his misery. Figures appeared around him, all wreathed in black, but they only shimmered, formless heads bowed in grief. Shadowy hands patted Kyle's hunched form, but he would not react. He would only stare at the polished stone in front of him. Time seemed to speed up as he did not move. The figures around him disappeared one by one, but still he sat. The light turned golden and he was finally alone. With a trembling hand he pulled something from his pocket and stared down at it. It was a little black box. A ring box.

Then something happened that cemented my despair, and I let out an anguished cry of denial. My lover's expression turned cold. All the warmth, the arrogance, the love, the flaws and the perfections fell from him until there was nothing left. No expression at all. He dropped the ring box on the grave and stood, his face shut off from all of the world. Forever.

There was a loud screaming in my ears as I watched him walk away through the mist, and I realized it was coming from myself. I was reaching out, grabbing at his image, and crying. "NO! Kyle! I'm here! _I'm right here!"_

I had thought that by coming to this world, nothing more could be taken from me. I had thought that everything was already lost. But I had still clung onto the hope that it could be reversed, that I could go back.

I was so, so wrong. Alexandria was dead. Alyssa was dead. And Kyle was destroyed.

The scene went black once more, and abruptly I was weightless, falling through the dark. But I could no longer react. I could no longer feel anything but despair. There was a red light below me, and I was falling into it swiftly, but all I could see was the expression of my Kyle, my beautiful Kyle, breaking from the loss of his family. The red glow began to push away the black.

"It's time for you to become whole…Empathy. Welcome to my family."

I was consumed once more in red.

o-0-o

Edward screamed in denial as his hands met the floor, but it was much, much too late.

As his world was consumed with white, Alex's pleading eyes and reaching hand were the last things he saw. And then Edward was falling.

The world disintegrated around him as he watched with wide eyes, coming apart like the deconstruction phase of alchemy. His stomach flew into his throat as he was plunged into a too familiar white abyss, a place he had hoped to never see again in his life. The terrified boy grabbed desperately at the unraveling world around him but he was already way out of reach.

Adrenaline seized his mind as the last wisps of reality faded, leaving him in complete nothingness.

"No! NO! Alex! Alphonse! Give them back! Give them baaaaack!" He screamed into the white, but the white merely swallowed his voice, every syllable as heavy as lead and not even allowing him an echo.

Edward's descent abruptly ceased, and he was placed gently on the unseeable surface that served as the floor in this realm, not even a shadow to indicate it even existed. The boy scrabbled to his feet desperately and cried out as a familiar energy flowed around him, backing up because he knew what was going to happen next. He had been through this before.

The energy peaked and the Gate emerged from the abyss at his feet, rising up, and up, way above him. He never felt so small as he did here, in this place, and Edward stared as the object that had plagued him every night for the past three years came to a stop before him.

He began to tremble as memories of _that night_ assaulted his consciousness, and he was frozen as the Gate cracked open with a resounding boom.

 _The uncertainty as the transmutation didn't go like it was meant to…_

The doors began to swing open, revealing the terrible blackness within, and Edward took a step back…

 _The terror in his brother's golden eyes, so like his own, as he disappeared…_

The doors were moving slowly, or maybe it was Edward's will that made it seem slow, wanting to live just a little longer…

 _Standing in front of the gate, just a boy of eleven, a menacing voice laughing at him…_

He wanted to look around him to find an escape route, any escape, but there were none. And he could not take his eyes off his worst fear in front of him…

 _The great eyes that glared from the darkness, the hands that reached out, pulling him, screaming, into the blackness._

Edward's heart raced. He clutched at his body, knowing what was to come but fearing the pain. Not again…please…

 _The pain of too much knowledge crammed into his head, too much truth! And then the agony of his limbs being taken from him…_

The doors, only halfway open, ground to a halt.

Edward gaped in shock as a familiar figure materialized in front of him, its broad shoulders and towering height exactly like his memories.

"Hello again, Edward Elric." Edward cringed from the voice that had haunted his dreams, that taunted him from the dark. The voice was a mixture of many to Edward's ears, voices of all ages and genders, though its form was clearly male. He had never told his brothers about this dream, but then again, he had never told them exactly what happened at the Gate the first time. Now history would repeat itself.

"Truth."

"Ah, Edward, as wonderful as it is to see you again, but the debt for this transmutation has already been paid."

Edward's heart stuttered in his chest. "What–What do you mean?"

A flash of Alex's face before Ed was pulled into the abyss flashed in his mind and Edward's eyes widened in horror. "No…!"

"Yes," Truth put a hand to his chin. "Alex so sportingly paid the price for you. Such a brave boy you've created. Though, he didn't really have much of a choice."

"You bastard!" Ed shouted, suddenly furious. "What have you done with him!?" He stepped forward aggressively, noticing for the first time that all of his pain was gone. But he had bigger things to think about at the moment. Like the bastard in front of him that _hurt his little brother_.

Truth waved his hand negligently. "Oh, calm down, boy, I didn't allow too much damage. I merely showed him the Truth."

The Gate began to close, and Truth began to fade. "No, wait," Ed screamed in fury. "Give him back! What did you do to him! Stop!"

But it was too late. The Gate faded back into the abyss and the last thing Ed saw of Truth was his damned white grin.

"Until next time, child. I have someone who's just _dying_ to see you…"

The disembodied voice began to laugh while Edward's eyes widened in realization. "No, wait!" Edward began falling once more and he reached out, trying to stop his descent. "Truth!"

Before reality could consume the boy once more, Edward saw an image of an emaciated young man standing precisely where he had stood only a moment ago. The figure was completely bare, and his ribs stood out on a sunken chest. Long blond hair, dirty and matted, hung limply about his shoulders as he stared down with golden eyes at the falling boy.

Edward's breath stopped, and then his voice was torn from him. "Alphonse! Alphoooooonse!"

He blacked out.

And then his world was consumed with pain once more. He groaned in agony as his body throbbed and ached, letting him know that his trip was over and he was still alive. A voice was shouting his name desperately, and Edward forced himself to open his eyes.

"Brother! Brother, please!"

"Al…" he groaned, forcing himself to sit upright. He looked around. The room had gone completely grey, not a drop of red water left to light it. Edward gulped and his heart sank as he looked to the center of the transmutation circle. There, sitting innocuously in the middle of the room, was the philosopher's stone. It gleamed red, the only color in the suddenly dim and lifeless surroundings. He had done this…all those people…

That train of thought was blown from his mind a second later as the a dark figure fell to its knees behind the stone.

Edward's stomach plummeted through the floor. It was Alex.

The boy stared blankly ahead with agonized red eyes, reflecting the gleam of the stone sitting before him, but he did not seem to see Edward. Tears streamed down his face, and his mouth was hung open in complete shock, shoulders slumped and looking so defeated that it tore at Edward's soul. What had Truth shown him to put such an expression on his face? "Alex..?" Ed whispered, reaching out with one weak hand. His vision flickered, but he forced himself to stay awake. His brother…his brother!

Soft footsteps announced that they were still not alone, and three figures emerged from the gloom. Lust, Envy and Gluttony stood by Alex's sides, staring down coldly at the barely conscious alchemist. Their eyes also reflected the red gleam of the stone in the dull gray light.

"Thank you, Edward," Lust said. She bent down and picked up the stone with delicate fingers. She moved behind Alex and knelt at his back, wrapping one gloved arm around his middle and pulling him against her as the other two watched on.

"Stop it!" Alphonse screamed from somewhere in the dark, and Edward tried as hard as he could to crawl forward, but he couldn't move anymore…

Lust ignored them both and held the stone before a trembling Alex. The boy seemed to come to, but his tears only fell harder as he looked down at the stone before him. "Please…don't do this…let me die."

"Shhh," Lust shushed him, stroking her hand gently down his chest to soothe him. "It's okay, Empathy. It's finally time to join us. I promised you I would give you your heart, didn't I?"

"Please…" Alex sobbed. "Let me die!"

"Can't do that, little brother," Envy said from Lusts left. "We've put too much energy into you." Gluttony giggled, putting a finger to his wide mouth.

Before Alex could make another utterance, Lust brought the stone to his chest and pressed gently.

The reaction was instant. Alex threw his head back and groaned, a look of utter ecstasy taking over his features as he was finally made whole. He writhed against the homunculus behind him as red markings suddenly lit up his body, shining through his tattered clothes. The markings faded a second later, all except for one; a gleaming red tattoo of a dragon biting it's own tail on the right side of his neck. Then that too faded into darkness.

Alphonse's voice was a constant screaming at this point, but he went completely ignored as the three homunculi observed their brother being reborn. Alex sighed one last time before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell limp, a peaceful expression on his face.

The world went completely grey as all the red disappeared.

Edward's heart had slowed to a crawl as he desperately tried to stay awake. The were taking him…he had to stop this…His vision flickered in and out of darkness, and he was completely powerless as his body finally seemed to give out, hand falling limply to the floor.

Envy snapped his eyes away from the slumbering homunculus and looked over his shoulder. "Time to go," he said. "I hear soldiers. We've been found out."

Lust stood gracefully, clutching the sleeping boy to her bosom. "No matter. We have what we came for."

"What about the sacrifices," Envy asked, nudging the nearly unconscious alchemist with his toe. Edward didn't react.

"There will be others. Leave them."

o-0-o

Edward's body seemed to pulse slowly with the sluggish beating of his tired heart, no longer able to understand the words of the beings around him.

 _pulse._

His vision flickered and he saw the creatures lift his brother from the ground. They began to walk away, heedless of the soul crying out behind them.

 _pulse._

His vision returned. The room was empty, and all he could hear was sobbing. The pain was fading now, and someone was calling his name, but he couldn't answer, though he dearly wanted to…

 _pulse._

Light blinded him, and shouts echoed through the room as if at the end of a long tunnel. Blue became the predominate color in his vision, but Edward still didn't react.

 _pulse_

A tug pulled him onto his back, and a face swam into his vision. Black hair and eyes, thin lips shouting at him to _Stay awake, stay with me! Goddamnit, Ed!_

 _pulse_

A horrible pressure suddenly pressed against his side and the boy screamed. "Stop it! Stop, it hurts…!"

"I'm sorry Ed, but you're bleeding, just stay with me!"

"Brother! Brother! Don't leave me here alone, please, please hold on!"

He was being lifted from the floor, the agony spiking sharply. Edward saw no more.

 _End Book One_

 _Epilogue: Aftermath_ _and resolution_ _. Mustang never knew he could feel anything close to what he felt after Ishval, but as he gazed down at Edward's hospital bed, the boy pale and so close to death, his brother a vacant shell leaning against the wall beside him, red eyes dull, he discovered he was wrong._

 _Debrief and author's notes after the Epilogue. Will be posted tomorrow. See you next time._


	57. Chapter 57

This was not the first time the Fullmetal Alchemist had ended up in the hospital after a mission. In fact, it could be argued that he ended up in a hospital bed about forty percent of the time. He was just that way.

Edward Elric was headstrong, inclined to take the hardest, most dangerous paths. He was self sacrificing. He never guarded himself like he should, and he foolishly ignored his injuries on a regular basis.

It was no secret why.

It was guilt. Subconsciously or not, he felt that he deserved it every injury he received, ever since the night the Elric brothers had tried to bring their mother back, and as a result, destroyed their bodies. But more than that, it could be argued that he had a mortal fear of doctors, stemming from the time he lost his limbs, and so would hide his injuries, foolishly hoping they would just heal before he had to come in contact with one of the white-coated menaces.

But this time he had gone too far. He hadn't just ignored a broken bone or a bruised rib. He had ignored an _inch thick hole in his side_. And he had nearly died for it.

The room was white and sterile. A heart monitor beeped steadily, the only real sound in the area besides the shallow breathing of one Edward Elric. His face was pale, sunken in and devoid of color. Deep shadows dusted high cheekbones under closed eyes. Bruises marred the rest of his smooth skin, black, purple and varying stages of a sickly green. His muscled and steel arms hung over white sheets at his sides, the rest of him obscured. Golden hair, bedraggled and short, so different from his characteristic braid, hung limply over his eyes. The cut was ragged, obviously done with a crude blade in a moment of desperation or anger. Despite his small form, the cut made him look older, framing his defined cheeks and exposing his muscled neck. Even in sleep, the boy–no, the young man–had a pinched expression on his face, as though he was still experiencing intense pain, despite the many drugs currently flowing through his system. His white teeth were clenched shut and his blonde brow was furrowed. He twitched, as if dreaming.

The surgery to save his life had not been easy. When the young man was carried in, limp in the arms of a blue clad soldier, he had been so very close to death. His body, already having less blood than the average human because of his missing limbs, had nearly shut down from lack of the precious liquid. The wound, caused by some kind of penetration of metal, was wrapped crudely and ineffectively, and any blood clotting that might have happened appeared to have been repeatedly ripped open by violence and movement. It was a wonder the young alchemist had been able to function at all. Despite the hole's small size, it had ripped through much of the muscle in his hip and chipped off a small piece of bone.

It must have been so painful.

But still he had continued.

Alphonse Elric was in no better shape. The vessel that held his soul was almost completely destroyed by some ungodly creature, evident by what was clearly bite marks on the edges of what was left. The first officer that had touched Alphonse had pulled back with a curse when the remaining acid on the armor had burned through their hand. That particular man was in the hospital in the room next door, still trying to recover from the extremely corrosive liquid and the severe burns it left behind.

Whatever had happened in the chambers of Lab Five, Alphonse had been forced to watch as his body was consumed. What was left of him was sitting in the same room as his older brother. Only the upper torso remained, and it rested against the wall opposite Edward's hospital bed. Jagged teethmarks edged the bottom of his chest plate, and his limbs were gone, leaving only a chest and a head. Alphonse Elric had never been farther from human than he seemed in that moment. Crimson spots of light stood out on a dark metal face, and they stared unwaveringly forward at his older brother, and that was the only indication that the boy was still alive, somewhere inside the meagre metal.

Mustang observed them both with tired eyes.

By the time help had finally arrived, the boys had been in Lab Five for two hours. Such a short time. And yet plenty of time for their entire worlds to be destroyed once more.

Alex was gone.

Mustang didn't know how it happened. He had arrived too late. Much too late. By the time he could get to the three boys, they were already in a state beyond repair, and almost beyond saving. Edward was bleeding out on the floor, face down against menacing lines of human alchemy, the paint burned into the floor as if a massive transmutation had taken place. Empty containers lined the whole room, and it didn't take Mustang long to guess what had contained them.

Alphonse was lying against the wall, body nearly gone and mind almost the same. He was incoherent, calling out for his brothers and sobbing. He didn't seem to understand anything that was happening, and was completely unresponsive to the men that arrived to save him. He only quieted completely when they arrived at the hospital and his brother was stable. He had not spoken since, merely staring at his unconscious brother blankly.

Alex had already been taken by the time he got there.

Mustang was standing against the closed doorway observing both of the remaining bothers, neither able to even respond to his presence. His gloved hands were clenched in his pockets, one hand holding on tightly to the note Alex had left him.

Alex had known something like this would happen. He had seen it coming, though he could not properly explain why. That night he had come to see Mustang long after the moon had peaked was the last time the colonel had seen him. Even then, though it was weeks before this tragic event, he had known that an end was coming. He had _warned_ Roy.

And Roy hadn't believed him. Not really.

Now he was regretting that negligence. He was regretting it with his entire being. Roy Mustang never thought he could feel anything close to the regret that he felt after Ishval, but as he gazed down at Edward's hospital bed, the young man pale and so close to death, his brother a vacant shell leaning against the wall beside him, red eyes dull…he discovered he was wrong.

The hours after he found the brothers were a blur. He never liked seeing his men injured, never liked seeing them die in the line of duty, but this was different. These were children. The men and women who signed up for the military as adults _knew_ what they were getting into, knew the risks. But as he held a bleeding Edward in his arms, the boy feeling so light and small against his body, his gut had roiled in nausea at the _wrongness_.

And the worst part, the part that was more terrible than _any other thing_ that could have happened that night, was that…it was the military that did this to them. It was the military's lab where all of this had happened. It was the military that had done the experiments on human beings and sacrificed them for power. Somehow, the military was connected with a league of homunculi that terrorized these three boys since the beginning, although at the moment Mustang didn't know what that connection was. But the fact remained that it _was_. And the military could be blamed for that.

Perhaps even Mustang himself.

He had been the one to recruit this young man to be a state alchemist. At the time, it was for purely selfish reasons. He had seen power in Elric, a power he had not seen since his father. And he thought he could use him. He thought he could use _them_ to gain the power he needed to become the Furer.

Now that seemed like such a selfish goal. But no. He wanted to become Furer so that things like this never happened again. He may have used them, but over time he had come to care for each of them dearly. His men were _never_ just a means to an end. Each one of them was his family. They supported each other, and they supported him.

He was doing this for _them._

Mustang looked out the window with shadowed eyes, exhausted. The sun was rising finally after this ridiculously long night. And with it came the warm breezes of Spring. Winter had finally ended, and it felt like another chapter in each of their lives was coming to a close with it.

Jäger yawned widely in the tired man's ear, and Roy patted it gently. It had clung to him doggedly since it came to him the night before. Truth, had it only been four hours…? It draped around his neck, long tail hanging limply against his chest. It seemed that in the absence of its master it had chosen Roy to be its furnace.

Mustang felt a pang in his chest as the little chimera whimpered and cuddled to him closer. Alex had left it behind. No, he was _taken_.

The colonel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He knew that the next few days would be hell for him as he had to explain his actions in Lab Five. He would have to pretend he had no idea that the lab was still in operation, and he had to pretend to pander to his superiors, superiors he _knew_ were corrupt. In the back of his mind he would be analyzing them. Just which ones were responsible for all of this? Which ones were involved and which ones could he call ally?

In a few short hours he would have to return to the game. And the stakes were unfathomably high.

"Brother…"

Mustang's head snapped up as Alphonse weak voice broke the stillness of the early morning. Slowly he turned his black gaze to the young man on the hospital bed.

Golden eyes stared at the ceiling dully, thin, pale lips pinched together. The expression seemed hopeless, and Mustang was vividly reminded of the time when he first saw Edward. He had seemed so small then, so defeated.

But the Edward in front of him now was larger than life. Even as he watched, the pools of gold seemed to shimmer with inner fire.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said quietly. Golden orbs turned to him, and the older man was relieved to see their intensity.

"Mustang." The voice was dry. Cracked.

Determination seemed to rise within him, and with a grimace, Edward sat up slowly, hissing in pain as the stitches on his injury tugged. Mustang almost lifted a hand to stop him, but dropped it immediately. It would be no use.

Once Edward was upright. He had to pant a few seconds and work through his pain. Once that was accomplished, he locked eyes with is little brother. Agony flashed over his face, even more intense than the expressions for his own pain. It hurt him to see his little brother like this. It hurt him deeply.

"He's gone…isn't he." It was not a question. His voice was completely dull, almost resigned.

"…Yes." Alphonse's voice was equally blank.

"Al…what have we done?" Ed smirked down at his hands, the expression derisive and self mocking. "We delivered him right into their hands. I had–I had to–" Golden eyes filled with tears and Edward brought both shaking palms to his face to hide them.

"Brother…"

"Can you ever forgive me, Al?" His voice was shaking now, trembling and small. "Can you–will you stay with me…? Please…"

"Brother…I'm not going anywhere…"

Ed finally looked up, tears glimmering but not fallen. "I don't deserve you…"

"…Ed. They took him."

He looked down once more. "I know…"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Mustang's voice broke between the brother's conversation, and both of them looked towards him.

While Alphonse was completely unreadable, Edward's expression seemed to say enough for both of them.

Fear.

Their enemies were so much more powerful than them…

Resignation.

They had already been through so much…

Pain.

It hurt. Everything hurt. Their souls, bodies, psyches…Hearts…

….Anger.

They were angry. Angry at themselves, angry at their enemies, angry at the _world_ …

And finally. Determination.

Edward's golden eyes turned to liquid fire, Al's red orbs burning just as fiercely across from him.

Chins tilted up and expression set in deep frowns, they answered as one.

"We are going to…"

"Get him back."

Mustang closed his eyes, a smirk pulling at his mouth. "I thought you might say something like that." He snapped his gaze back up, expression challenging, and pushed off the wall. "Get better. When you are healed…we will." Roy clenched the note in his pocket tightly. He had promised that he would take care of these boys while Alex was away. He hadn't said anything about not coming after him.

The colonel turned his back and left without another word.

o-0-o

The colonel closed the hospital door firmly behind him, already mentally preparing himself for the ordeal ahead. His gaze was drawn up, however, by a black pair of boots. He looked straight up into the eyes of Riza Hawkeye.

Her severe expression was fierce and determined as ever, but also filled with the compassion he knew her so well for. She looked just as tired as he, but still unwavering and strong, always by his side.

"Sir, we've been summoned by the Furer."

Mustang sighed. "I know." He placed a hand on her shoulder and walked past her slightly smaller form. Only to stop short once more.

They were all there.

A ragged group of soldiers stood in the hallway outside of the Elrics' hospital room, exhausted from the night they just had.

Armstrong standing tall over all of them, eyes sparkling in support.

Hughes, leaning against the wall with an arrogant smirk, confident as always, and Barret standing beside him with a bored expression.

Havoc, smoking an ever present cigarette between clenched teeth, grinning, Breda resting an elbow in his shoulder with a roguish smirk.

Falman, the dutiful soldier standing ever guardedly over Fury, the bespectacled man smiling timidly.

Surprisingly, even Ross and Brosh were there, standing almost formally to the side, a determined set in their shoulders.

Riza began to walk down the middle of group and paused, looking back at a stunned Mustang. Her eyes sparkled in amusement at his reaction, but her face remained serious as ever.

"Sir?"

A smile tugged at thin lips, and a deep arrogant chuckle resonated from Roy's chest. Family indeed.

"It's nothing." He began to walk down the hall between all of them, and they fell in at his back. "Let's give 'em hell."

 _To be continued…_

 **Authors notes:**

Breathes a huge sigh of relief. Ah, it's finally over. At least, this part of the story is. We still have a long, long way to go before the saga ends.

You thought reading that ending was intense? Writing it was intense. Because unlike a reader, I agonized over every detail for days, weeks even. This scene has been in my mind for so long I thought I would go crazy if I didn't write it down. To be honest, my original plans weren't quite like this when I started this story, but it grew and mutated till my original notes were obsolete.

For example, Alexandria's fate. I know I've been hinting for a long while that there would be no way back for Alex. It was one of the reasons why I didn't go into too much detail about his past or his world, because those things really won't have much relevance to the story. But Alexandria's fate…I was of at least four minds about that. I literally had the options listed out, with an alternate ending for each one.

 **Excerpt from Lynnxrider's plot notes:**

Options for Alexandria's fate:

1\. She was in a coma when her soul was taken. Kyle kept her alive until the baby was born, but a year later when she still didn't wake, he pulled the plug. Alexandria is dead.

1.5 Alexandria and the baby died, and Kyle became cold and withdrawn.

2\. Alex was never human, only a copy of Alexandria. Nothing happened to her and she lives her life normally with her son and Kyle. Identity crisis.

3\. Alex is only a piece of Alexandria's soul and she was badly damaged personality-wise when he was taken. But she lives her life normally with her daughter an kyle, and they seem happy. Truth tells Alex that if he returns, his personality and memories of this place will be destroyed. He will cease to exist.

Do you see what I mean? Any one of these directions would have worked, and each one would have made the ending turn out a little differently. It was hard to decide. I chose option 1.5 because it was the most likely scenario from what I saw of Barry.

 **About Truth:**

All will be explained in the next couple of books. Truth takes different forms in both series, and my Truth also takes a different form. All you need to know about him for right now is that he is slightly different to each alchemist that faces him, and only Alex gets close to who he actually is.

By the way, did any one see that Empathy bit coming? I especially liked that part.

 **About the brothers:**

It truly was a journey to integrate Alex into the Elric clan. If you remember, in the very beginning he was just a stranger. He was really only a burden to Edward and a way to feel for Alphonse. But as their journey continued, their relationship changed dramatically, and it was a real challenge to make that seem realistic. I think that if Alex had been reborn a female and closer to what he was in his other life in age, then that would never have happened.

Fullmetal Alchemist is about the bond and journey between brothers, and I tried my damnedest to do that justice. And, boy, did those three come to love each other in the end. Now there are no real distinctions between their relationships with each other but their own insecurities.

 **About Alex:**

Wow, what a character. He was so interesting to write. He has the soul of a now 26 year old woman, an appearance of a 15 year old boy, and a physical age of three. I won't get into too much detail about this since I already kind of hit on that in chapter 45, but let me just say that it was _so_ interesting to write and think about. It's something that defines every relationship he makes, and there are just so many perspectives to think about that it was a real challenge. And his development isn't over, oh no. The revelation that he can no longer be Alexandria will change him irrevocably once more. They were _all_ changed by the revelations at the fifth lab.

 **About the ending:**

Yes, Deliverance ended in tragedy. But really, I've kind of been preparing you for this for a long while. Alex kept having these doubts and seemed to be letting go of his old life bit by bit. Lust's plans for him seemed so inescapable, and in the end they were. He had an expiration date on his life if certain terms weren't met, and Edward really had no idea how he was going to get him back to his world in any case, and even said as much a couple times.

Hm, I don't even think that in the series he had any idea of how to get their bodies back for the longest time. He was always going on about philosopher's stone, this and philosopher's stone, that, but he never voiced how not having equivalent exchange would _help_. But whatever, science fantasy.

 **About the next book:**

Hah, I know that this is what you really want to read: my plans for the next part.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure yet, so I'll just start with what is set in stone. I've changed my mind again. I will be continuing this in another story on my profile. I decided that it really is too long to put all into one. I didn't expect this part to last 57 chapters, but here we are. And who knows how long the others will be. I'm probably going to call it SubSoul 2: Divergence.

If you are interested in the second book, I suggest you subscribe to my profile if you want to keep up with it. If you don't care to do that, no worries, I will post an update in this story once I start the next one, so if you are a subsoul follower, you will be informed, and then you can just follow the new one. Or you can forget about it for a while and check in a year or whatever. Up to you.

I probably won't start on this until after I graduate in May. For now I'll be depressurizing from this and writing my one-shot collection I've been planning. There are a ton of insistent plot bunnies that need my attention or they will die. So sad.

For those of you that are not satisfied with the tone of this ending, don't worry. The next book will start out much like this one: heavy on angst, but having plenty of lighthearted fluff and comedy, just like the original series'. Alex will make it through, and so will everyone else. Ed and Al recovered, didn't they? Have faith. Besides, as much as I like drama, I'm not really into angsty stuff. There has to be balance, or I get bored. This is FMA dammit, not Deathnote for christ's sake.

That's all I'll say for now. I have some serious planning to do, which includes watching the entire two series all the way through again so I can work out my plot the way I want it. But like the title suggests, Alex's involvement has already changed a lot, and the plot will only continue to diverge from the original. But that's what makes fanfiction interesting, ne?

There is so much more I can say about this story, but I think I'll spare you the extra thousand words for each character. If they can't explain themselves, then I obviously didn't write them very well.

 **To my readers:**

Thanks for sticking with me. No really. I enjoyed every single comment and pm and question I received. And I even almost reached my goal of 230 reviews already. Yeah! Or was it follows… whatever. I'm pleased.

Lurkers: this story has finally ended. If you are one of those peeps who wait till the end to review, I would love to hear from you now. If you've made it all the way here, even to the end of my ridiculously long AN, then you've probably got a thing or two to say. If not, then I'm glad you enjoyed it in any case.

Anyway, if anyone has anything they are dying to see in the next book, I would love to hear your thoughts. No idea is a bad one. It will help me plan out the next part if I get some directions that I might not necessarily come up with myself. Or, you know, oneshot ideas. I'm always game for those.

See you next time.


	58. Divergence Trailer

"How does it feel?" A soft voice filtered through the night air like silk over bare skin, and I shivered slightly. I was not alone. I'm _never_ alone…

"How does what feel?" I said softly, nearly a whisper.

"Freedom."

I gazed out into the glimmering city, my eyes dead. I opened my mouth slowly, allowing my deep voice to echo off the silent streets. "It feels cold."

A light touch brushed against my neck and then my jaw. I didn't react until a delicate hand pulled my apathetic gaze to Lust's. I looked into her eyes obediently, never once a thought of defiance crossing my mind, and she stroked my cheek gently, causing me to shudder. Her red lips tilted in a small smirk as she sat down beside me, cold shoulder brushing mine. Her gaze was kind, but there was no warmth there. There never was. _You are mine_ , she seemed to say.

We sat in silence for a quiet moment, and then she finally released me, standing to her full formidable height. "Come, Empathy. It's time."

I stood as well, pushing myself to my feet, every movement as graceful as my companion's. I passed my gaze once more over the empty rooftop with a pang of longing before resolutely facing forward, stepping up by her side. "Let's go."

 _Hello, all. Guess who's back! I have returned from the trials of academia and have come out the other side, triumphant and free! Haha, just kidding. I did graduate though, so the stress of senior year is finally over, and I have brought you the next part! As promised, I posted this to the first book so ya'll could find the next one. The preface will be posted sometime this afternoon, so I can't wait to see you there! Get ready for Substitute Soul Book 2: Divergence._


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